Unexpected Help
by Enis
Summary: Misao has a crush on Kagami, but hasn't told her how she feels yet. Someone notices, and decides to try and help her out.
1. Chapter 1

**Thought I'd take a crack at writing a fic with Misao and Kagami. I made a few edits from the original, thanks to some suggestions from Smusher and Drake Nolsa, so I hope they are an improvement. I hope this turns out OK, and I already have chapter two in the works as well as a general idea for chapter three, so as long as I can stay away from Diablo 3, they should come up relatively quick. Reviews are most welcome. If you like it, let me know what you like. If you don't like it, let me know what you don't like. If there's something that needs fixing, again, please let me know. ENJOY!**

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Unexpected Help

Chapter 1: What's in it for you?

Misao sat her desk, twirling her pen in fingers, staring at a blank notebook, her teacher's lecture going in one ear and right out the other. Her mind often wandered while in class, mostly about upcoming sporting events and competitions, but over the past few months, her mind always ended up on one particular person. That person just so happened to be sitting right next to her.

Looking over to the adjacent desk, she watched as the other girl diligently took notes and paid attention to the lecture. Misao couldn't help the small frown that tugged at the corners of her mouth. She'd been trying to figure out a good way to confess her feelings, but so far, she hadn't been able to work up the courage to do so.

_Everything about her is just so awesome. She's smart, determined, and man is she ever pretty. I really need to just suck it up and tell her how I feel. But what if she rejects me? _Misao was yanked from her daydreaming as the school bell rang throughout the class, announcing it was time for lunch. The students quickly got up and began pulling out their lunches, or making their way towards the cafeteria, while others were getting ready to head to another class to join their friends.

"See you guys later," said Kagami, as she got up from her desk with her lunch in hand.

"See you later," Ayano replied happily.

"Later Hiragi," Misao said with a wide smile, but as Kagami turned her back to exit the room, Misao's smile quickly faded. _Why does she always have to go eat with them? It's not fair. _Letting out a sigh, Misao slumped back down to her chair, thumping her forehead on to her desk.

"Sorry Misa-chan," Ayaon said, placing a hand on her friends back. "I wish she'd have lunch with us every once and a while too."

"Yea but I REALLY wanna have lunch with her," Misao whined.

"I know, I know. We've been through this before." Ayano sat silently for a moment, lightly rubbing Misao's back in an attempt to comfort her lovesick friend. "Hey I know, why don't we go over there and have lunch with her. Her friends are pretty nice, I doubt they'd mind if we joined them."

Misao sat up quickly, "hey that's a good idea," she said, lightly bouncing in her seat.

Grabbing their lunches, the two girls made their way to room 3-B. Upon entering the classroom, Misao paused at the sight before her. Konata was currently glomped on to Kagami rubbing her face into the girl's shoulder. Kagami was blushing furiously and attempting to pry the small girl off with little success. Misao watched Konata with a look of jealousy, as she and Ayano approached the group. _Hope she doesn't keep this up__. It's OK, I can do this, game face, game face._

Konata, still glued to Kagami, was the first to notice the approaching duo, easily recognizing the jealous look on Misao's face, and flashed her a sly smile, which only Misao noticed. Miyuki, however, was the first to speak up, "ah, Minegishi-san, Kusakabe-san, it is a pleasure to see you. Are you here to join us for lunch?" she asked in a sweet voice, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"If that's OK with all of you, we thought it might be nice to join you," Ayano stated politely.

"Of course you can join us!" Konata shouted, finally letting go of Kagami. "The more the better."

Ayano turned to Misao and gave her a reassuring smile as she pulled up another desk to join the others. Fallowing suite with her best friend, Misao also grabbed a near by desk and pulled it up. Taking a seat, she looked to group and said, "Sup Hiiragis! Takara-san…Shorty."

"It's nice to have you guys here," Kagami said with a smile, causing Misao's cheeks to flush slightly, another action which didn't go unnoticed by Konata.

"Excellent, with five of us here, we have officially achieved orgy status!" Konata shouted enthusiastically while pumping a fist in the air, causing everyone at the table to blush, minus Tsukasa, who just looked confused.

"Wh-What the hell!" Kagami shouted, clearly embarrassed. "Why on earth would you say something like that?"

"Well," Konata began as if nothing was out of the ordinary, "two is a couple, three would make a threesome, four is foursome, and after that it's just an orgy. Come on Kagami, you should know all about that."

"Why the fu-!" Kagami began to shout, but was interrupted by Tsukasa.

"Kona-chan, what's an orgy?" She asked innocently. Misao and Ayano, just watched in silence. Neither of them expecting the conversation to take such an odd turn.

"Please don't answer that Konata," Kagami grumbled.

To Kagami's surprise, however, Miyuki leaned in close to Tsukasa, taking the innocent girls hand in hers, she whispered something into her ear. Tsukasa instantly blushed a bright red, and looked to Konata, "bu-but we're not actually doing THAT" she squeaked.

"Exactly!" Kagami exclaimed, then let out a dejected sigh and put her palm to her face, "can we please just change the subject?"

"Sure, sure, what ever you want Kagamin~" Konata cooed, grabbing onto Kagami's arm and nuzzling into her shoulder. Kagami bore an angry expression, but decided against attempting to fight off her tiny friend, and instead went to eating her lunch.

_What gives? She's doing it again. Knock that off short stuff, she obviously doesn't want you glompin all over her! _Misao mentally shouted. Once again, Konata looked right at her, her signature cat like smile on her face, and this time she gave a small wink. _What. The. Hell. She's doing it on purpose? _

Misao couldn't take it anymore. She quickly stood up, startling the rest of the girls, "That's it! I don't have to put up with this. I'm outta here," she said. Before anyone was able to respond, Misao stormed out of the class room, everyone just staring at the door with looks of utter confusion.

"What just happened?" Kagami asked, looking over to Ayano. "I don't think I've ever seen her that angry before."

Ayano was just as equally confused. She'd seen Misao loose her temper before, but never out of nowhere like this. With a worried look on her face, she shrugged, "I honestly have no idea what just happened. I guess I should go check on her."

As Ayano got up from her seat, and exchanged polite goodbyes with the rest of the group, she was stopped by a small hand grabbing her wrist just before she was able to make her way out of the class. She turned to see that the hand belonged to Konata. "Go sit back down Minegishi, I'll talk to her," she said in a surprisingly serious tone.

Ayano raised an eyebrow, of all people, she didn't think that Konata was best suited for calming some one down, she'd more likely make an awkward joke and possibly make things worse. "I don't think that would be the best idea Izumi-san," she tried to say as politely as possible, Kagami nodding in agreement.

Konata simply shrugged, "Come on! I bet I can cheer her up. Just give me chance," she finished with a confident smile, already making her way towards the door.

"She's gonna get herself killed," Kagami muttered, while the rest of the table exchanged nervous glances.

As Konata entered class 3-C, she immediately found who she was looking for as the brunette was sitting face down at her desk. Donning her signature smile, she walked up to the obviously very upset girl, and took a seat at an adjacent desk. "Hey Kusakabe, we should talk," she said in a cheery tone.

Misao turned to face Konata, still keeping her head on her desk, "you've got a lot of nerve coming in here midget. I really don't feel like putting up with any of your jokes right now, so scram," she growled.

Leaning back in her seat casually, Konata regarded Misao with a mischievous look in her eye, "oh there's no need to be angry. I actually came here to help you out."

"And just what do you think I need help with?" Misao said, her anger rising.

Konata leaned in close to Misao, receiving an angry scowl in the process, and said in a quiet voice, "hooking up with Kagami of course."

Misao instantly sat up straight in her desk, her eyes shot wide open as if some one had just thrown a bucket of ice water down her back. _How does she know? I've only told Ayano, and there's no way she would have told anyone else. Just play it cool, maybe she's just screwing with me again. _She tried to reply, and instead was only able to stare at Konata in stunned silence.

Konata chuckled lightly at the shocked look on Misao's face, "you're pretty obvious Kusakabe, at least to anyone who pays attention. Factor in my epic yuri senses, and you may as well be walking around with the words 'I want to have my way with Kagami' written on your head."

Misao was still unable to respond to what the small girl was saying. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Konata, of all people, had just ever so casually revealed her darkest secret. Locking eyes with Konata, she swallowed hard, and tried to say something, but was only able to move her mouth up and down.

Letting out a small sigh of frustration, Konata decided to take a chance by putting a hand on the other girl's shoulder. When Misao continued to stare at her, Konata continued, "look, I said I wanted to help you, and I meant it. But first you're going to need to actually talk to me here."

Misao's look of shock vanished, and was now replaced by a skeptically raised eyebrow. She had a hard time watching the tiny otaku rubbing all over the girl she'd had a major crush on over the past few months, and often saw Konata as potential competition. "So, you don't want hook up with Kagami?" she asked.

"Nope"

"And you want to help ME get together with her?"

"Yup"

"Why?" Misao still couldn't believe what she was hearing. _She has to be up to something. I don't trust her far as I could throw her. Wait, I could probably throw her pretty far, alright I just don't trust her. "What's in it for you?"_

"Kagami is my friend, and believe it or not, I actually want to see her happy. If you can make her happy, then it's a win win for everyone." Konata paused for a moment, noting the still skeptical look on the brunette's face. "Also she really needs to get laid. She's wound so tight that if you were stick a lump of coal up her butt, you'd get a diamond a month later." Konata laughed as Misao's face flushed a bright crimson and continued, "I see you like the idea of sticking something up-"

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Misao began, waving frantically in an attempt to shut Konata up. "Alright I get it, but I still don't trust you. Why are you so willing to help me when you're all over her yourself? You really don't want to get together with Kagami?"

"Man, you're still hung up on that? Alright if it'll make you happy I'll tell you a little secret of mine." Leaning in close to Misao, she said quietly, "I already have a girlfriend, but I have to keep it on the down low because she's not ready to come out yet."

Misao was once again shocked, "re-really? Who?"

Konata laughed, "she's a hot little piece of American tail that I work with," she said with a pride filled smile plastered across her face. "So in order to keep things a secret, I have to act as if nothing has changed. Which means that I need keep messing with Kagami. She's pretty funny when she's flustered. Come to think of it, your rage face is pretty cute too."

"So you've been screwing with me this whole time because you think it's cute?" Misao stated in a slightly angry tone as Konata nodded in response. On the inside, however, Misao was jumping for joy. As strange as all this news was, she was excited to find out that Konata wasn't after Kagami, but she still had a few more questions before she officially agreed to this madness. "So what makes you think that you can help me? I was planning on telling her how I feel sometime soon anyways."

"No, no, no, you can't just confess, you have to work up to it first dummy. Just trust me on this, after all, I AM the dating sim master." Konata donned a small smile and said in a smug tone, "besides, who do think set Tsukasa and Miyuki up," lightly thumping her tiny chest for emphasis. "With my help you'll hit all the right flags, and together we can score the best cut scene. RL dating sims are so much more fun," Konata finished with a chuckle.

Misao's face scrunched in confusion, "wait, flags? Cut scene? RL dating sim? What are you talking about?

"Don't worry about it, don't worry about it. Just trust me on this," Konata said, holding out her hand for Misao to shake

Misao thought it over for a minute, nodding her head as a small smile began to tug at the corners of her mouth. "I'll agree under one condition. You have to stop molesting Kagami. It kinda make's me wanna beat you."

"My, my, so possessive," Konata said mockingly. Putting a finger to chin in thought, she mumbled quietly to herself, "it'll cause suspicion, but that's fine. Maybe a little suspicion well help Patty come out."

"Help who come out?" Misao asked, causing Konata to jump slightly.

"Deal!" Konata shouted, ignoring Misao's question, and shaking her hand vigorously. "Just give me a few days to get a game plan together. First order of business, though, you have to start joining us for lunch."

"Deal!" Misoa shouted happily as the bell rang loudly informing the school that lunch was now over.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it took so long to finally get this up, writers block sucks. Anyways, hopes this is enjoyable.**

Chapter 2: Fondle Fest

The past several days had been strange for Kagami, not in a bad way, but something was definitely different. For starters, Ayano and Misao had been joining her for lunch in Kuroi's class. This was definitely a pleasant surprise as she did truly enjoy their company; however, this led to the next topic of her confusion.

Lately, it seemed that Misao and Konata were now all of the sudden really good friends. When Kagami had asked Konata about what was going on between the two, Konata had simply said they had a lot in common and just hadn't really realized it. It was obvious to Kagami that Konata was hiding something, but she hadn't been able to get anything out of her.

Her true source of suspicion, however, was the fact that Konata hardly ever made any physical contact with her what so ever. While this most certainly wasn't a bad thing, Kagami often finding her friends antics to be extremely embarrassing, Konata's sudden change was slightly unnerving. _May as well enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts, _Kagami thought to herself as she stood up from her desk with her lunch in hand.

"Ready to go?" she asked, turning to Ayano and Misao.

"I was ready five minutes ago!" Misao shouted, then pointing an accusing finger at Kagam, "you're the slow one Hiiragi!"

"Fine, fine, lets get going then," Kagami said with a sigh.

As the three girls made their way towards their class room door, Kagami heard Misao's phone beep. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched her friend pull out her phone and check the message. A moment later the girl nodded to what ever she had read, and began to rapidly text out a response. Kagami didn't think to much of the action, Misao was always texting someone, but as they entered class 3-C she saw Misao put her phone away, and a moment later she heard Konata's obnoxious ring tone go off.

_Were they texting? No, probably just a coincidence. _Approaching her friends, Kagami saw that the desks had been arranged as usual. Taking a seat next to Miyuki, she smiled and said, "hey everyone."

"What's crackin," Misao exclaimed, sitting in the open chair next to Konata, while Ayano simply waved to everyone with a smile, as she took the last open seat.

"Bout time you three showed up. I was getting tired of watching these two love birds grope each other," Konata stated, gesturing to Miyuki and Tsukasa.

"Kona-chan!" Tsukasa cried, her cheeks turning bright red. "W-We weren't-"

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean that," Konata began, cutting Tsukasa's protest off, "I could never get tired of watching your fondle fest." Konata wagged her eye brows several times in a suggestive manor with a sly smirk on her face, Miyuki and Tsukasa blushing even brighter in reply.

"ANY ways," Kagami began, hoping to steer the conversation back to something less embarrassing, "anything new and exciting?"

"You catch a whiff of what ever that was earlier? Man that reeked," Konata stated, pinching her nose for emphasis.

"Yes, it was quite the disturbing odor," Miyuki agreed, also happy for the change of subject.

"What'd it smell like? What'd it smell like?" Misao asked excitedly, bouncing in her seat.

Kagami smiled to herself as the group now began to talk amongst themselves about nothing in particular, more importantly, nothing disgusting, perverted, or embarrassing. Opening up her lunch, she was actually quite excited about eating it this time. Tsukasa had decided to make their lunches for today, and Kagami was looking forward to enjoying her little sister's cooking. Digging into her food with enthusiasm, she began to fully enjoy her amazing lunch.

"What is this hungry, hungry hippo? I thought you were trying to lose weight Kagami, not double it," Konata stated mockingly, causing Kagami to choke slightly on her food.

Kagami was just about to get up and smack Konata, when Misao beat her to it, the brunette thumping Konata on the head saying, "Hey! Not cool. Kagami has a totally awesome figure. She could eat what ever she wanted, and she'd still be perfect." Misao then turned to Kagami with a big toothy grin plastered on her face, her cheeks a light shade of pink.

Kagami was dumbstruck. She'd never received a compliment like from anyone before, especially Misao. "R-really?" she asked, and Misao nodded back. She immediately felt her face heat up as her cheeks turned a bright red, "th-thanks," she said almost inaudibly. Looking away to try and hide her growing blush, she failed to notice the shared smile between Misao and Konata.

A moment later, Konata spoke up again, "hey I've got an idea. We don't have school tomorrow, so why don't we all go to the movies tonight. There's a midnight premier of that new zombie movie that just came out, we should go see it."

"I don't have any club meets in the mornig. Count me in!" Misao cheered.

"Sounds like it could be fun," Ayano agreed.

"I've wanted to see that one too," Kagami added quietly, still embarrassed.

Miyuki and Tsukasa looked at the rest of the group with nervous stares. Tsukasa hated horror movies, and Miyuki hated to see Tsukasa scared. To say that they weren't enthused about the idea would be an understatement. Before either of them could protest, however, Konata spoke up again, "you two are outvoted, you're coming," she said, clapping hand on Tsukasa's back.

Tsukasa simply hung her head and nodded slightly, "O-OK," she said. Then turning to Miyuki, "you'll take care of me right Yuki-chan?"

"Of course. I will always do my best to look after you," Miyuki said in a reassuring voice.

"Then it's settled!" Konata shouted excitedly, the rest of the group nodding in response.

* * *

Misao stood in front of the mirror in her room, and gave herself a quizzical look. Placing her hands on her hips, she let out a small humph. She wasn't used to being this dressed up, usually sticking to more simple clothes. Konata, however, had insisted that she wear something 'sexy'. Never having put much thought into looking sexy, she had decided to ask Ayano for advice. Her best friend had been more than excited to help, and had practically insisted on loaning Misao one of her outfits.

_These jeans are super tight. How am I supposed to do anything cool in these? _She thought, and tried to bring a knee to her chest, while only managing to lift it up half way. She then tugged at the small black halter top she wore. _Totally not my style. _Picking up her phone, she began to type out a text to Konata.

To Shortness: I look retarded =(

…

From Shortness: Pic

Misao shrugged, and took a quick snap shot of her self in front of the mirror, then sent it to Konata.

…

From Shortness: /drool I'd hit it. =3

Misao shook her head with a slight chuckle, and replied.

To Shortness: No seriously

…

From Shortness: You look fine. You take care of Minegishi?

…

To Shortness: Filled her in on plan. All good.

…

From Shortness: Cool TsuYuki also handled. See you soon XD

Looking at the time, she realized that she needed to leave now in order to make to the theaters on time. Shoving her phone and some money into her pockets, she ran down stairs, threw on a pair of flats, also borrowed from Ayano, and bolted out the door towards the train station. The train ride was quick and uneventful, and as Misao made her way towards the movie theaters, she received one last text from Konata telling her make sure and buy Kagami some strawberry pocky. She smiled at that last text, knowing that Kagami loved pocky, it hadn't occurred to her to make a point to buy some. She'd have to make sure to thank Konata later.

Approaching the theaters, she instantly spotted Kagami and Konata standing in front of the box office, but she didn't see any sign of Miyuki or Tsukasa. "Sup guys," she greeted in a cheery tone, walking up to her two friends.

"What's crackin Misa-kichi," Konata replied, looking Misao up and down with a small smile.

"Hey," Kagami said happily. She then raised an eyebrow and asked, "where's Minegishi-san?"

Misao let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of her neck. She hadn't thought of a good excuse to tell Kagami as to why their other friend had mysteriously bailed on them. "Uh…oh! She forgot that she had a date with my brother tonight…so…yea!" She finished, rather pleased with her story.

"Huh, fair enough," Kagami replied with a shrug.

"Wait a minute, where's your sister and Takara-san," Misao asked.

Letting our a small sigh of frustration, Kagami placed her hands forcefully on her hips and said, "apparently there's a new Pixar movie out that started just a few minutes ago. Konata suggested that they should see that instead, which of course they happily did."

Konata, who had still been eying Misao, pulled her eyes away from the brunette and looked to Kagami, "hey Kagamin, doesn't Kusakabe look super sexy?"

Misao flushed a bright red, simply chuckling nervously while Kagami took a moment to look her over. "Hey, yea, you're all dressed up! You look great. Had I known you were going to wear something nice, I'd've put on something better than just jeans and a t-shirt, " she stated with a smile.

Waving a dismissive hand, Misao flashed a wide toothy grin in an attempt to hide her embarrassment; even though she did enjoy the compliment, and being the focus of Kagami's attention, she wasn't used to being called sexy. "Nah, it's nothin that great. Just tryin somethin new. Now lets get our tickets!" She exclaimed excitedly.

The three girls then made their way to the box office to purchase their tickets, but were stopped when Konata's phone began to ring. The small girl quickly pulled it out and answered it. "Hey…I'm at the movies…um…ok…fine I'll be right there…bye." stuffing her phone back in her pocket, Konata put her palm to her forehead hoping to hide the mischievous smile that was trying to make it's way onto her face. "My dad locked himself out of the house again. I have to go let him in."

"What?" Kagami exclaimed, "what about Yutaka? Isn't she home?" she asked in an annoyed tone.

"Yutaka's at Minami's house for the night, and it wouldn't be safe for her to go out by herself this late," Konata began. "It's ok, you two have fun! I'll catch up later," she said with a sly smile and a small wave as she quickly made her way towards the train station.

Kagami shrugged, muttering something under her breath about an irresponsible father, and took her place at the back of the line. Misao fallowed suit, but was slightly more excited than her unsuspecting friend. Konata's plan had so far gone off without a hitch, and now all she had to do was make the most of her alone time with Kagami. She began to bounce lightly on the balls of her feet in her excitement, when her phone beeped. Pulling it out she saw a text message from Konata

From Shortness: Gonna go eat me some American Pie. Have fun on your date ;D

…

To Shortness: TMI! =( and thanks.

Closing her phone, she looked up to see that Kagami had just purchased her ticket. Having completely forgotten what movie they were going to see, Misao walked up to the booth and asked for the same ticket Kagami had purchased. _Good save, good save, _she thought. Not even bothering to look at the ticket, she quickly made her way over to Kagami, and the two girls headed into the theaters side by side.

"Hey, we should get some candy!" Misao shouted, as they walked past the concessions stand.

"I'm ok, I'm trying to lay off the sweets, but go ahead and get something if you want," Kagami replied.

"You don't want candy? What's wrong with you Hiiragi! Candy's the best!" Misao grabbed a hold of Kagami's hand and began dragging her towards the concessions. She was about to protest when Misao cut her off and continued talking excitedly. "I'm totally buyin you some tasty goodness."

Kagami relented with a sigh and allowed Misao to pull her up to the counter, figuring that a little bit of candy wouldn't kill her diet too much. Looking at the wide selection of assorted treats, Kagami spotted what she wanted and was about to point it out, when Misao placed their order with the clerk. "Two large boxes of strawberry pocky and two large Cokes please."

Kagami regarded Misao with a raised eyebrow and a small smile, "how'd you know I was going to order that?" She asked.

Misao turned to face her, handing her a drink and box of pocky, radiating an aura of confidence. "Strawberry pocky's your favorite, duh."

Kagami couldn't help but laugh at the pleased expression on Misao's face and the bounce in her step as the two made their way into the show room. She could tell that her friend was more excited than usual, _I wonder what's got her so worked up? _she thought, and was about to ask her about it, until they entered the room and saw how crowded the theater was. Kagami let out a dejected sigh, and began looking towards the back of the theater for a pair of seats. Once the two found their seats, Kagami lightly shook her head as she watched Misao tear into her box of pocky, and eating two sticks at a time.

A moment later she was hit with a sudden realization, and couldn't help but ask, "hey, I just thought of this, but don't you hate horror movies?"

"What movie are we seein again?" Misao replied with a pocky filled mouth.

Kagami gave her a deadpan stare for a moment, "you know, Dusk of the Deceased, a zombie horror flick," she finally stated in a flat tone.

Eyes going wide, Misao froze, her previous aura of confidence shattering. _Uh oh, I should have been paying more attention. Horror movies scare the crap out of me, and I really hate zombies. _Shaking her head, and putting on a fake smile, she waved a hand dismissively. "Pfft, what gave you that idea? I totally like horror movies," she lied.

"Really?" Kagami asked, cocking her head to the side with a look of mild confusion, and earning a vigorous nod from her friend. "Well, alright then," she said disbelievingly as the lights went out and the previews started.

_It's just a movie, it's not real, there's no reason to be scared,_ Misao thought to herself as the last of the previews came to an end, and the movie began to start. _I totally got this._

The first ten minutes of the movie went by without a hitch. A nice happy introduction, and nothing scary had happened, so Misao was beginning to feel confident that this might not be as bad she was thinking it would be. All of that changed, however, when the main character's wife was approached by what appeared to be a wounded little boy.

_Hey, he's not hurt! He's a zombie! Get away! Awe, come on, please don't hug him, _Misao mentally pleaded, but of course, it was to no avail. The little boy leaped onto the woman with an animalistic screech, and began tearing into her neck with his teeth. Blood sprayed everywhere, the poor woman started screaming, and the husband began to frantically try to pry the boy off his dying wife. It was all to much for a now terrified Misao. She clamped her clamped her eyes shut, and without thinking, she grabbed onto Kagami's arm, burring her face into her friends shoulder.

The feeling of her arm being suddenly grasped, right at the moment the action began to start, startled Kagami and caused her to jump slightly. Her first thought was that Misao was playing a stupid prank on her in an attempt to scare her. She looked down, planning on scolding her friend, but when she saw her eyes closed tight in terror, she couldn't help but roll her eyes and shake her head. _I knew she hated these kinds of movies, _she thought.

Despite being annoyed, and slightly embarrassed, Kagami couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards Misao. Sshe knew how traumatized Tsukasa could be after watching scary movies, and it appeared that Misao was no different. Slowly prying her arm out of Misao's grasp, she then placed it over the girl's bare shoulders, whispering into her ear, "I tell you when the scary parts are over."

Misao nodded, still keeping her eyes closed, and another high pitched scream from the movie caused her to wrap her arms around Kagami's waist. Kagami began to rub her back lightly, looking to see if anyone was watching them, and now thankful that they were sitting at the back when she realized no one seemed to notice. _This usually helps Tsukasa, so I hope it works for her too._

As the movie continued, the two stayed in each others arms. Kagami continued to inform Misao of when the scary parts were over, while Misao maintained her grip around Kagami's waist. Under most circumstances, Kgami would have been beyond annoyed, even if it was her little sister; however, she couldn't bring herself to get upset. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she actually seemed to enjoy the feeling of having Misao wrapped up in her arms. _When Konata does stuff like this it's obnoxious as all hell. But this, this feels nice. _Not quite sure what it was she was feeling, Kagami decided to chalk it up to the fact that she had succeeded in comforting her friend.

On the other end, Misao could barely contain the massive smile that kept trying to creep over he face. Despite being terrified, every time Kagami would whisper into her ear, or rub her back in a comforting manor, she couldn't help but feel absolutely giddy. She hoped that this moment would last for ever.

Unfortunately for Misao, all good things must eventually come to an end. When the movie credits started rolling, and the lights came back on, she didn't want to let go. _Just a little bit longer,_ she thought, while still maintaining her grip around Kagami.

Looking down, Kagami let out a small sigh, "It's ok now, the movie's over, she said quietly. She began to feel her cheeks flush as she noticed several nearby people looking and smiling at them. "Kusakabe, come on, movie's over," she said in more stern tone.

"Right, right," Misao replied, quickly letting go and laughing nervously.

Rolling her eyes, and getting out of her seat, Kagami looked at Misao and said in a mocking voice, "I totally like horror movies." Then placing her hands on her hips, she continued, "what was that all about? You're just as bad as Tsukasa," she said in a teasing tone.

"Am not," Misao replied with a pout.

"Are too," Kagami retorted with a smile, then lightly nudged her friend in the shoulder. "Come, let's get going. We don't want to keep the other two waiting."

Just as they were about to exit the theater, Misao stopped and turned to face Kagami, "hey, you uh mind doin me a favor? You know, maybe not let everyone know I totally wussed out back there," she said sheepishly.

Kagami gave her a smile, chuckling lightly, "your secret is safe with me," she said as she opened the door to exit the theater.

Outside, the two found Miyuki and Tsukassa sitting on a bench. The latter having fallen asleep and using Miyuki's shoulder as a headrest. Standing next to them was Konata, who was currently occupied with a small handheld gaming system.

"What are you doing back here?" Kagami asked Konata, approaching the group.

"Told you I'd catch up later. Was wondering if you guys wanted to hang out or something," Konata replied with a smile.

"Konata," Kagami began in deadpan voice, "it's two in the morning."

"I would have to agree that it is quite late…or should I say early? Either way, I believe I'm quite ready to go to bed, and it appears that Tsukasa-san is as well," Miyuki stated, obviously exhausted.

Letting out a wide yawn and rubbing her eyes, Misao placed her arm on Konata's head, using it as a surface to lean on. "Yea I'm pretty beat too. Sorry shortstop."

With a sigh of defeat, Konata slumped slightly and said, "fine, fine, let's head home then."

Miyuki turned to a now snoring Tsukasa, saying in light tone, "Tsukasa-san, it's time to wake up."

Tsukasa groaned, and began to nuzzle into Miuki's shoulder. As she did so, her head shifted down and fell into Miyuki's breasts. A large smile came across Tsukasa's face, "mmm Yuki-chan smells so good," she mumbled, still completely asleep and nuzzling deeper into her girlfriends large breasts.

Konata and Misao watched with massive grins plastered on their faces, while Kagami brought a palm to her face and shook her head. Miyuki's face lit up a bright crimson, "Tsukasa, sweetie. I-it really is time to wake up," she stammered out, and shaking her girlfriend.

Lifting her head up, Tsukasa rubbed her eyes and blinked for a few moments. "Wha- I just dreamt I had the most amazing pillow in the world," she drawled, while Konata and Misao were attempting to stifle their giggling and failing miserably.

"We're going home now Tsukasa, come on," Kagami said sternly

With Miyuki's aid, Tsukasa was able to drag herself off the bench, and the group was finally on their way back to the train station. While Miyuki and Tsukasa were lagging a small ways behind, Konata looked to Kagami and Misao, "so how was the movie?" she asked.

"It was pretty good. The special effects were awesome. You'd've liked it for sure." Kagami stated.

"Awesome, I'll have to make sure I go see it," Konata began. Then, donning a sly smirk, she added, "so, did the two of you get all close in the dark theater and cuddle?"

Kagami reeled around, face beet red, "what!" she shrieked. "W-we didn't- Why would you assume we- GAH!" she shouted, and with balled fists at her side, she stormed off ahead of the group.

Konata turned to Misao, who was laughing nervously, "you totally got her to cuddle didn't you," she began, Misao nodding in reply. "Alright! Played the whole, 'horror movies scare the bajeeses out of me,' routine didn't you," she stated, nudging Misao in the ribs with an elbow.

"Um…yea. I uh, totally played that card," Misao replied shakily.

Giving a thumbs up, Konata smiled, "excellent, and if she allowed it without getting angry, that means you triggered a flag, which means mission accomplished. Alright private Kusakabe, next mission briefing will take place within the next few days, so be ready. Victory will be ours," she said in a low voice, clenching a small fist in front of her face.

Misao laughed at her short friends antics, "oh don't worry, I'll be ready," she stated happily.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: **Sorry again for taking so long to update. I've been wicked busy lately. I actually wrote this entire thing on my phone during downtime at work. Some of the inspiration for this came from episode twelve with the yaoi comic. Anyways, hope you all enjoy this.

Chapter 3: What'cha Lookin At?

Misao was excited, more so than usual, as Konata had told her during lunch that she had come up with a new mission, and she would be announcing it at the end of the day. She honestly had no idea what her tiny friend had in mind, but she was pretty sure that whatever it was, it would be good. Of all the decisions that Misao had ever made in her life, she had to say that taking up Konata's offer to help, was definitely one of her better ones. To say that her friend was an excellent wingman would be an understatement.

Over a week had passed since the 'movie mission,' as Konata had taken to calling it, and she had been providing Misao with numerous opportunities to both be around, and compliment Kagami. Such simple things as consistently getting the two to sit next to each other during lunch, or teasing Kagami in way to allow Misao step in and defend her. To top it off, Konata was surprisingly discreet about it all. Misao was pretty sure that Kagami hadn't the slightest clue as to what their plan was, weather or not that was a good thing though, she wasn't exactly sure yet.

Misao was so fixated on thinking about what Konata had planned, that she failed to notice the final bell ring. She was eventually pulled from her thoughts when she noticed to people standing in front of her. "You ok there?" Ayano asked, waving hand in front of Misao's face. Kagami was standing next to her, watching silently with her hands on her hips.

Jumping from her seat, and shoving her school work into her bag in no particular order, Misao yelled excitedly, "heck yea I'm ok! School's out! It's go time!"

Shaking their heads and chuckling to themselves, Kagami and Ayano followed their excited friend out of the class, and out to the front of the school. There they met up with the other three members of the group who were waiting patiently. Misao ran up to Konata, who's back was turned, and shouted, "sup Smurf!" while grabbing the small girl by the shoulders. Konata let out a shriek of surprise and rounded on her friend with a large grin.

She immediately began to rifle through her bag. "Good, you're all finally here," she said, now vigorously searching through her things with a purpose. A few moments later and she let out a satisfied, "ah ha!" and held up a small pamphlet as high above her head as she could. The rest of group regarded her with looks of mild confusion, and Konata finally brought her prize down so everyone could see. "I have the coolest idea for spring break!" she exclaimed.

The girls gathered around, and looked at the object in their friend's hand. "Magical Land?" Kagami asked skeptically.

"Oh! I went there during summer break, it's tons of fun," Ayano pointed out.

Nodding in agreement, Konata spoke up, "there's all sorts of awesome rides, games, and food. It'll be super cool."

"I totally like all of those things!" Misao shouted excitedly. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

The rest of the group was pretty quick to agree that a trip to a theme park would be a good idea, and had began discussing when would be the best time to go while on their way to the train station. About half way there Konata's phone started to ring. It took her a few minutes to fish her phone out of her bag, and as usual, Kagami found the ring tone to be extremely obnoxious, but this time something was different about it. _Is that English? _she thought.

"Hey, hey," Konata answered. "Oh yea! I almost forgot, good thing you called...uh huh...yea no prob, I'll see if they have it...ok...you too...later."

Now curious, Kagami couldn't help but ask, "is that ring tone in English?"

"Yea, Patty decided to play a prank and change my ring tone while we were at work the other night. I don't know what it says, but she thought it was pretty funny. It's the theme song to some stupid American movie...Team something or other, has a bunch of puppets," she replied with a shrug.

Misao was hit with a sudden realization, as she remembered a previous conversation she had with her short friend a while back. "Hey isn't Patty the American exchange student?" she asked, receiving an enthusiastic nod from Konata. "And you two work together," she said more as a statement, a mischievous smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

Konata's nodding instantly ceased, "yea, we work together," she said, putting her best 'you better keep your mouth shut' face on. "anyways, I need to swing by the manga shop, you guys wanna come?" she hastily added before Misao could ask any more questions.

"Sure, why not. I could use a new light novel anyways," Kagami stated with a slight shrug.

With Kagami's agreement to go, the rest of the girls decided to go along with the minor detour as well, and it wasn't long before they soon found themselves standing in front of a local comic shop. Not having any real reason to go inside, Ayano, Miyuki, and Tsukasa decided to wait at a small cafe next door, while Konata, Kagami, and Misao made their way into the shop.

"So I need hit up the action section," Konata said, already heading towards a seemingly random spot in the store.

"Action section sounds like the best section!" Misao happily added, beginning to fallow Konata.

"I'll meet up with you two in a bit then," Kagami stated, making her way towards the light novels. While attempting pass through a nearby isle, Kagami was confronted by a hastily erected stand with an over enthusiastic employee standing behind it, both of which were now blocking her path. She frowned as the employee paid absolutely no attention to her whatsoever, and was instead diligently looking in the direction in which Konata was heading. Letting out an annoyed sigh, she found herself heading down a small isle towards the back of the store.

Her attention was instantly brought to the covers of the manga on the racks, and she couldn't help but blush at the graphic and intimate pictures which adorned them. Looking up at the small sign on top of the shelf, she realized that she was now in the adult section. Kagami could feel her face flush with embarrassment, and she began to make a quick exit, when one particular cover caught her attention.

Taking a look around, she found that not a single employee was paying any attention to her, and she couldn't see Misao or Konata anywhere near by as well. Picking up the book, she glanced at the cover and felt her face flush even more. Two girls were holding each other in tight embrace, lips locked together in a passionate kiss. _Huh, doesn't look quite so smutty compared to the other covers. Maybe just a quick peek._

Flipping through to the middle, Kagami let out a small gasp. _Holy crap, this is pretty intense._ Taking another look around, she found that, once again, she was unnoticed by the rest of the store, and started flipping through more of the book. Her heart began to race as she looked at the images before her. _Wow, I didn't know that two women doing THAT, could be so...hot. _She couldn't believe she was actually thinking these thoughts, but Kagami found herself deeply fascinated by the scenes within the book. She continued to flip through the manga, reading bits and pieces of the story, and becoming more and more engrossed by the minute. Unfortunately for her, she not only lost track of time, but failed to notice an approaching duo.

"What'cha lookin at?" said a small voice in a sing song tone.

"GAH!" Kagami shrieked, throwing the book at the shelf as if it had just burned her hands. She quickly turned to see Konata and Misao staring at her with wide smiles. "Nothing! I wasn't looking at anything. I was just passing through that's all," she stammered out with a nervous chuckle. If dying of embarrassment were possible, Kagami was pretty sure that this would be enough to kill her twice over.

Konata's smile widened, "awe Kagamin~" she cooed. "You don't need to be so defensive. "

Kagami was at a loss for words, and when she saw Misao pick up the manga and begin to flip through it, all she could manage to do was cringe. _This is it, the torment will never end, _she mentally whined.

"Hey, remember when I said the action section was the best section?" Misao asked with a smile. "Yea I totally lied. THIS is the best section!" she said enthusiastically. Taking Misao's comment as some sort of joke at her expense, Kagami decided she couldn't take it any more, and quickly turned on the spot and rushed out the door.

Misao and Konata stood in the aisle with matching looks of confusion. Konata then looked to Misao, and pointed to the manga she held in her hand. "You should try and buy that for her," she started, and when Misao gave her a curious look, she continued. "This is one of the most important flags to trigger. We don't know for sure if Kagami is into girls or not, and this might help shed some light on that." With an assertive nod, Misao grabbed another copy, and headed towards the cashier, books in hand.

"Why did this have to happen to me," Kagami scoffed to herself once she was alone outside. Spotting a bench, she decided to take a seat and try to cool her nerves while waiting for the rest of group. Hanging her head and taking a deep breath, she began dreading the moment when Konata and Misao would most likely tell the other three, and mock her for days to come.

"Hey, you alright?" Kagami looked up to see Misao walking up to her, a small bag in hand and a look of genuine concern on her face. Glaring at her through narrowed eyes, Kagami couldn't come up with anything to say and instead continued to stare at her friend. Misao plopped down on the bench next to her, and gave a big toothy grin. "Well, I gotcha somethin," she said while reaching into the bag. Her face turned a light shade of pink as she pulled out the manga that Kagami had been reading, and handed it to her.

Kagami's face turned a bright crimson, and she felt her anger quickly rise. "Oh ha ha, very funny. What, you get this so you could rub it my face? Is that it? 'Oh look, Kagami was reading Yuri porn,' yea thanks, but you can totally keep it."

Misao raised an eyebrow in confusion, she honestly had no idea where the anger was coming from. She hadn't made fun of Kagami, and neither had Konata, at least intentionally. _Wonder why she's so bent out of shape?_ she thought. "Well I don't need two copies. I honestly got this for ya. Thought you'd like it." Her face turned a brighter shade of red. Now that she thought about it, it was a pretty awkward gift.

"Two copies?" Kagami squeaked out.

"Yea, this stuff honestly looks pretty good. Not to mention it's totally hot. Got one for me too. Look if ya don't want it, I'll take it back," Misao said, a slight hint of disappointment her voice.

"R-really? You're not trying to make fun of me?" Kagami asked, now feeling guilty about her angry outburst. The honest look of sincerity on Misao's face only making her feel worse.

"What? Heck no! Why would I make fun of you for liking this?" she asked, pointing to the book in her hand for emphasis. "Seriously, you should know me better than that Hiiragi."

Kagami realized that Misao had a fair point. While she did enjoy tormenting her, it was always in good spirits. Add the fact that she was always very supportive of Miyuki and Tsukasa, Kagami realized that her friend had actually decided to do something nice for her, despite the awkwardness of the situation. Not having the heart to reject Misao's gift, and secretly wanting to read more of it, she accepted the manga, placed it in her bag, and gave a small smile. "Th-thanks," she said quietly.

"Hah! You're welcome!" Misao exclaimed with a thumbs up.

"But how'd you buy it? Don't you need to be at least eighteen to buy this?" Kagami asked.

"Hey you're right," Misao replied, putting a finger to her chin in deep thought. "Yea the guy at the store didn't even look at it. He just rang me up super fast. Guy was kinda weird, couldn't take his eyes off the stack of crap Konata was holding. Speaking of which, she should be out here in a minute."

"Hey, about her," Kagami began nervously. "Uh, does she know you got this for me? Because if she does, I'll never hear the end of it."

"Nah don't worry about her. I told her to keep a lid on it for ya. You're good to go," Misao replied confidently.

That was by far the least reassuring thing Misao could have said, and Kagami was about to say so, when she was interrupted by Konata walking up with a large sack full merchandise. "Sorry it took me so long. Patty and Hiyori called. Gave me a small list of stuff to pick up," the small girl said, hefting the bag in her hand. In the store behind her, Kagami could see the employees dancing and cheering, one of them popping open a bottle of Champaign and spraying it everywhere. _What the hell is that all about? _she thought. "Should we get the others?" Konata asked, pulling Kagami's thoughts away from the strange sight in the comic store.

"Let's roll!" Misao exclaimed, as they went into the cafe and found the other three patiently waiting.

Once again, the group was now making idle chit chat while on the way to the train station. Throughout most of the way there, Kagami had barely said a word. Instead, she had been replaying the whole incident in the comic shop in her head. Looking back, she honestly couldn't figure out why she had gotten so worked up about it. She knew Konata openly read that kind of stuff, and Misao obviously didn't care either. To her surprise, Misao had even enthusiastically showed the rest of the group her purchase.

Glancing to her right, Kagami couldn't help the small smile that played at the corners of her mouth. Misao was leisurely strolling beside her, hands clasped behind her head, her school bag dangling from her interlocked fingers, and a large smile plastered across her face. _She's always so care free...about everything. How does she do it? I work on being like that sometimes._

As the girls entered the train and found their seats, Konata began bouncing excitedly. "Hey, so I was reading this article online about dating and what not, and the main topic was about what qualities you look for in a partner." Receiving a series of blank stares, she continued, "so? What kind of stuff are you into? You know...with some one you want to date? And Miyuki, Tsukasa, you don't need to answer. I think we can already tell what you two like."

A moment of silence passed as everyone considered Konata's question. The silence was soon broken by Ayano, "well, I'd have to say I'm definitely attracted to athletes. The broad shoulders, tight abs, and oh man, the nice butt to go with it. I swear, there's nothing better than grabbing some buns of steel," she finished with a dreamy eyed stare. She was about to continue, when Misao cut her off.

"What!?" she shrieked. "That's my brother you're talkin about. Awe man, I don't wanna think about that," she whined, while mimicking a heaving sound and earning a scowl from Ayano.

Chuckling at the exaggerated display of disgust, Konata then informed Misao that it was her turn to tell. Raising an eyebrow in thought, she took a moment before answering. "Hhmmm, well," she began, then looked in Kagami's direction. "I gotta say I'd like someone who's really smart. Ya know, they'd have to make up for me. They'd have a fiery personality too, fun to joke around with and stuff, but also a real sweet side that not too many people would know about. They'd have a good figure, thin, but not like a rail, gotta have a little meat on em. Oh, and the eyes. They'd have the prettiest eyes I've ever seen," she finished with an assertive nod.

Noting the obvious description of Kagami, both Ayano and Konata turned to the twin tailed girl, wondering if she had caught on. Tsukasa and Miyuki had noticed as well, and were looking between Kagami and Misao with curiosity. Apparently Kagami hadn't noticed, taking their staring to be her queue to answer the question, and began without missing a beat. "I guess I'd like someone who could be fun and spontaneous, and really make me laugh. At the same time though, be serious when it truly counts. And as cheesy as it may sound, I want someone I can feel completely safe with," she finished quietly, feeling like she had given a weak answer.

With mischievous glint in her eye, Konata put on a wry smile, "hey Kagamin~ would this person be a boy or a girl?"

"Wh-what the hell kind of question is that?" Kagami choked out. "Y-you didn't ask the others that?" she could feel herself getting worked up and angry again. _And Misao said Konata would keep a lid on it. Yea freakin right._ She was about to tell Konata where she could shove her question in a rather explicit manor, when Misao spoke up.

"I'd totally take a girl over a boy any day!" the brunette blurted out rather loudly, flashing a smile at Kagami. The entire group was now staring at Misao with looks of mild surprise. She'd just admitted to having a preference to the same sex to a passenger loaded train. "I mean come on, girls are WAY sexier than boys. They have much better figures, they're silky smooth, no icky hair everywhere, and don't even get me started on what's goin on between the legs," she said without even the slightest hint of embarrassment.

"But have you ever run you're fingers over a hairy, muscular chest? Oh it can be heavenly," Ayano chided with a devious look on her face, nudging Misao in the ribs with her elbow.

"AH! I don't wanna hear it!" Misao exclaimed. She then shoved her finders in her ears, "I'm not listening! Ah la la la! Ah la la la."

Konata burst into a fit laughter, and Miyuki and Tsukasa both blushed, while Ayano continued to tease Misao about the finer points of being with a man. Despite being thankful that the teasing was directed at some one other than herself, Kagami felt she should help Misao out. After all, the girl had just bailed her out no less than a few moments ago. "Hey Konata, you never answered the question yourself," she stated, effectively silencing Misao's torment as the group now turned to Konata.

"Yea, c'mon short bus, spill it," Misao added, thankful for the sudden change of subject.

"Fine, fine, fine, if you insist," Konata said, waving a dismissive hand. "For starters, they'd have to be an otaku, just like me. Just think of all the awesome conventions we could hit up. With our forces combined, we could get all the best stuff in half the time," she began, clenching a small fist in front of her face. "Oh and total bonus points for being into video games too. In general, just a person who's different from the others I guess would be a good way to put it."

"So you want someone as weird as you? Yea good luck with that," Kagami teased, patting Konata on the head playfully. "And would this person be a boy or a girl?" she asked with a smirk, happy to return the awkward question.

"Ah, well I'd like think they could be either," Konata began, completely unfazed by the question. She then stood up as the train came to their stop, and continued. "True love should be blind to gender. If two people can share a connection then that's all that should matter. Besides, choosing one gender just limits your options, if you know what I mean," putting on her cat like smile she started thrusting her hips.

"You know, what started as a really good answer, was pretty quickly ruined. Strong work," Kagami replied with a deadpan tone, while quickly exiting the train with the rest of the group in tow, and soon everyone eventually went their separate ways and headed home.

* * *

Later that night Kagami found herself sitting at her desk staring at her homework. She'd been trying her best to get it finished, yet all she was able to do was simply stare at it. Her mind always finding a way to drift back to the day's earlier discussion, or more specifically, Konata's question. It should have been a very simple answer, yet she hadn't been able to give one.

Now, she found herself trying to answer that very question. Would that special person be a man or woman? She'd always imagined that a boy would ask her out, and she'd be more than happy to say yes; however, when she truly thought about it, she couldn't exactly picture a boy that she'd like to be with. Of all the boys she knew at school, which weren't very many, she honestly couldn't think of a single one she was actually attracted to.

She couldn't help but chuckle as Misao's explanation of why women were more attractive than men popped into her head, and pretty quickly realized that she had to agree with her. This in turn brought up another thought, Misao's description of what she found attractive in someone. Thinking it over, Kagami recalled how Misao had been looking right at her, a slight blush tinting her cheeks, and had rattled off a rather detailed description. During the time, she'd been busy thinking of her own answer, and hadn't given her full attention, but now, she began to truly think about what her friend had said.

"She...she wasn't describing me was she?" Kagami said quietly to herself_. No, she couldn't have. My physique is definitely nothing to be desired. I doubt I'm that much fun to joke around with, since people always say I'm to uptight, and my eyes aren't very pretty at all. If anything, she has the beautiful eyes, so big with such an amazingly vibrant color. She's always so sweet to me too, even if she does like to tease me, and she has that great athletic figure... _her thoughts came to a screeching halt as she realized what had just gone through her head. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she stood up from her desk and flopped down onto her bed, burying her face into her pillow_. I can't believe I just thought of my friend that way._ "Ugh!" she groaned into her pillow.

The past week started to play through her mind. Their time at the movies stood out the most, and as much as she didn't want to admit it, she truly did have an amazing time that night, and she knew it wasn't because of the movie. She instantly remembered how beautiful Misao had looked all dressed up, and felt her face begin to heat up. Just the very thought of holding the girl in her arms was enough to give her the feeling of butterfly's in her stomach. _Ok, just because I noticed some beautiful qualities in another girl, doesn't mean I have a crush on her. Maybe I just haven't found the right guy yet. Yea that's it, I might just be confused about what these feelings actually mean. Although the very fact that I'm confused is saying something too. _

Getting more frustrated by the moment, she realized that there was no way she'd be able to get any more homework done. Kagami decided she may as well go to bed early, and slowly dragged herself off her bed to get ready_. _While straitening up her desk, she stumbled across the manga that Misao had purchased for her. _And this… _she thought while shaking her head, _I don't even want to think about what this means right now. _With a heavy sigh, she quickly shoved the manga in the bottom drawer of her desk, and hastily finished her nightly routine, all the while trying hard not to think about the images she'd seen earlier that day.

Flopping back down onto her bed, she stared up at her ceiling. She honestly hadn't the slightest idea what to think about any of the thoughts that had been flying through her mind, and quietly cursed Konata for bringing this upon her with that one single question. _Well, I guess I'll just give it some time, see how things work out._

* * *

**Author's note 2.0: **Hope you enjoyed, and yea that's right, I did it. I threw those guys at the comic shop a bone and made Konata finally buy something…don't judge me…


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Special thanks to my beta reader for all the insight and helping me with all the little things, hope I fixed them alright. Also t****hanks to all of you who have given reviews and support, much appreciated.** Hope you all enjoy this update, and I'll do my best to get the next chapter out as soon as I can.  


* * *

Chapter 4: Well Played

The days leading up to spring break had flown by, and it was now, that the girls found themselves standing just inside the main gate of Magical Land. What had started as a small group outing, had instead turned into something much larger. Once some of the underclass students had gotten word, they had decided to tag along as well.

Misao now eyed the group skeptically. Even though Konata had assured her that she had a plan in mind, she still found their group size to be potentially detrimental to her plan. _How am I supposed to get anywhere with all these people around?_

Misao was pulled from her brooding when she heard Ayaon's voice ring out. "Jin!" the girl squealed happily. _Oh no, what is HE doing here? _She thought angrily as she watched Ayano dash towards her older brother and throw her arms around him in a tight hug. She could feel her frustration rising, and was about to confront her brother when she felt a light nudge in her side.

Looking to the source, she saw Konata smiling at her. "It was her idea. This is a good thing. Just trust us on this," she whispered.

Taking a deep breath and letting it our forcefully, Misao found it hard to argue with her friend; however, as her brother walked up and wrapped a muscled arm around her neck, put her in a tight headlock, and started grinding his knuckles into her head, she was starting to have second thoughts. "Hey, hey! How's my little sis doin?" he asked happily. Letting go, he then looked to rest of the group, flashing the trademark Kusakabe smile. "Mornin ladies," he greeted.

"Hey bro," Misao spit out venomously. "What're you doin here?"

"You kiddin me? This place totally rocks!" he exclaimed. "And, it's our anniversary tomorrow, so we have a special date planned. You ready to go?" he asked Ayano, who now had her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. The girl nodded vigorously with a massive smile, and the two bid their farewells and were on their way.

Out of the corner of her eye, Misao could see the satisfied look on Konata's face. The small girl then pulled out a map, and the rest of the group gathered around. "So what's the plan?" Patty asked enthusiastically.

"Alright, so this place has a ton of stuff, and it all comes down to what we wanna do. This section has all the super awesome roller coasters," she said, pointing to the map. While looking between Yutaka and Tsukasa, she started to describe, in extravagant detail, the intensity of the rides, making sure to use animated hand gestures for emphasis. Both of the girls bore expressions of unease, and paled.

Quivering slightly, Yutaka shook her head. "I don't think I'd like those kinds of rides at all."

"The roller coasters in this section look a lot less scary. I can take you there if you'd like," Minami said, pointing to another spot on the map and placing a hand on her smaller friends shoulder.

"C-could I maybe join you?" Tsukasa asked quietly.

"I would like to go as well. Being turned upside down tends to off set my equilibrium. It usually makes me quite nauseated," Miyuki added.

Minami gave a single a nod and a smile, while Yutaka bounced up and down happily. "The more the merrier!" she shouted.

"Hey, what's this over here?" Hiyori asked, forcefully jabbing a finger into the map.

Konata donned her cat like smile. "I thought you'd never ask. This, my bespectacled friend, is Manga Metropolis." Both Hiyori and Patty's faces lit up with excitement, and Konata continued to elaborate. "They not only have a ton of different shops, but there's also professional cosplayers to take pictures with too. I even heard some famous artists might be doing some signings today."

Judging by the dropped jaws and wide eyes, Misao could easily tell the two girls had just made up their minds about where they wanted to go. It then occurred to her that this was Konata's plan in action. _Man she's smooth. She's managed to get everyone to actually WANT to split up._

"Hold on a sec," Kagami interrupted. "So let me get this straight. We show up to a place with awesome rides, and no one wants to ride any of them?" she asked in obvious annoyance.

Konata gave a quick glance to Misao, but she'd already spotted her opening. "No worries Hiiragi, I'm down for some roller coaster action if you are," she said, flashing a wide grin.

"Thanks Misao. I just thought we'd do something as a group that's all," Kagami stated.

"Well, I think I have a pretty good plan worked out," Konata said in a smug tone. "I figured we'd split up first, hit some spots of interest, and then meet back at the food pavilion around one or so for lunch. Then we'd hit the water ride section, and after that, catch the concert in the outdoor auditorium before we leave."

Kagami began to mull over the plan Konata had outlined for a few moments, then gave a small shrug. "Sounds good to me I guess. Manga Metropolis doesn't exactly sound like my cup of tea anyways."

"Alright! See you guys for lunch! C'mon Hiiragi let's hit the rides," Misao shouted. Grabbing a hold of Kagami's wrist, she took off with her in tow, not even bothering to hear the rest of the girls bid their farewells.

The sudden jerk caught Kagami by complete surprise as she found herself being dragged by an overexcited Misao. "H-hey, wait a sec," she protested, but to no avail, her surprisingly strong friend continuing to drag her with ease. "Hey! Kusakabe! Hold on!" she finally shouted.

Misao came to screeching halt, a surprised look on her face. "Sup?"

"Roller coasters are this way you dork," Kagami said. Jerking a thumb over shoulder in the opposite direction, she was trying hard not to laugh at the dumbfounded look on her friend's face. That look, however, quickly changed to one of sheer determination, and she felt the grip on her wrist tighten again. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm going with you...no need to drag me," she hastily spluttered out.

Releasing her grip, Misao stared at Kagami expectantly, worrying her bottom lip with impatience. When she only received a perplexed look in response, she quickly grabbed a hold of the other girl's hand, interlocking their fingers, and started walking at a brisk pace. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon. These rides ain't gonna ride themselves!"

Pleased that she was being led through the crowd, rather than pulled at break neck speeds, Kagami couldn't help but laugh at Misao's eagerness to ride the roller coasters. At their current pace, they quickly arrived at their first ride. Being early in the day, they were thankful that the line was relatively short, and in no time at all, they found themselves strapping into a pair of seats in the shape of a fighter jet, the tune Highway to the Danger Zone, blasting in the background.

The ride jerked into motion, and the two girls were on their way up a steep incline. Once at the top, the cars almost seemed to stall for a moment, allowing for a full view of the steep drop off. Kagami's breath caught in her throat as her seat dropped out from underneath her, and she plummeted towards the ground. All she could manage to do was hold her breath through the intense twists, turns, and loops, yet she couldn't stop smiling. Misao was next to her whooping and hollering the entire time, a look of pure joy plastered on her face, and Kagami found the sight to be pretty entertaining.

When the ride came to an end, and the two made for the exit, Misao was jumping with excitement. "Awe man, that was totally freakin awesome!" she shouted. Before Kagami could respond, Misao grabbed a hold of her hand again and took off in a seemingly random direction. "Gotta be quick! Get as much in before the lines start gettin big," she said over her shoulder.

Over the course of a few hours, a very clear pattern had emerged. After each ride, Misao would grab a hold of Kagami and take off towards another roller coaster . She had become so adept at picking the shortest line, that they hardly had to wait before boarding.

If there was one thing Misao loved, it was a good thrill, add Kagami to the mix, and she could have sworn she'd died and gone to heaven. The best part was that she'd managed to get her more uptight friend to loosen up. During the first few rides, the twin tailed girl had held her breath, or remained silent. Afterwards, she'd occasionally protest while being pulled around the amusement park.

Now, however, she seemed to have completely given in to the fun. She'd yell and shout all throughout the rides, and afterwards, occasionally donate a hand for Misao to take, giggling the entire time until they reached their next destination. Misao had never seen this side of her friend before, and it was a sight she found she wanted to experience more.

As they made for the exit of their latest exhilarating experience, Kagami pulled out her phone to check the time. "Hey, we got about ten minutes till we're supposed to meet the others for lunch. We should get goin."

"I guess," Misao said with a small pout, obviously not wanting to give up on the roller coasters just yet. "But I gotta hit up the bathroom real quick. Been holdin it for way to long."

"Fine, fine," Kagami replied with a small chuckle, and the two began to head towards the nearest restroom.

Once there, Misao bolted inside, while Kagami opted to wait underneath a nearby tree. She couldn't help but laugh as she heard a familiar voice echo out the door. "Awe come on! What's with the freakin line! I gotta go!"

_She can be pretty funny,_ Kagami thought to herself. _Come to think of it, she's just plain fun_. Looking back, she honestly couldn't remember a time she'd laughed as much as she had today. The whole experience so far had been amazing, as she found Misao's outgoing and fun attitude to be quite contagious. Pretty quickly her thoughts went back to her dilemma from several nights ago. She'd managed to push it out of her mind, but after spending a good portion of the day hand in hand with a girl she thought she may have a feelings for, she was beginning to realize she may have just figured out her answer.

"Well aren't you a pretty little thing," came a sleazy voice from beside Kagami, yanking her from her thoughts.

Turning around, she found herself face to face with two men, both of which looked to be far older than she was. "Excuse me?" she asked in a confused tone.

"Here by yourself? I bet we could show you a good time," said the closest man. With a lecherous grin, he stepped closer, propped himself against the tree, and began running a finger down her shoulder.

"I'm here with a friend, and I think I'll pass on your 'good time'," Kagami replied sternly, shrugging off the man's hand.

"My, my, aren't you a feisty one. Come on sweetie, give us a chance." The man leaned in a little closer, picking up one of Kagami's pig tails and sniffing it lightly.

Kagami was at a complete loss for words. She was now backed up against the tree with an extremely creepy man in her face, his friend a few feet back leering at her with a perverted look in his eye. _What do I do?_ she thought frantically, hoping some one would come to her aide.

As if on queue, she heard Misao's voice. "Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing!?"

The man backed away, but only slightly, as Misao wedged herself between him and Kagami. "Oh, there's two now, and you're just as cute as your friend. One for each of us. You interested in a good time?" he asked deviously, reaching to run a hand up Misao's arm.

Misao quickly swatted the hand away from her. "Hell no creep! Touch me or my friend again and you'll lose a finger," she protested angrily.

"Wow, you've got more spunk than you're friend here. I like that," he sneered.

He reached out again with an outstretched finger, this time towards Misao's face, aiming to run it over her jaw. His hand only made it about half way when Misao casually grabbed his finger and bent it backwards. She then quickly dropped his hand down to waist level, forcing him to his knees with a high pitched yelp as he watched his finger being bent at an awkward angle.

"Hey! Let him go you little bitch," shouted the other man, stepping up and taking a handful of Misao's shirt at the shoulder.

In one fluid motion, she let go of her first assailants hand, grabbed just underneath the second man's elbow, and pulled it down towards her, forcing him to stumble. Caught off guard by his sudden change in direction, he took a step forward to try and regain his balance, only to have the foot swept out from underneath him. He hit the ground hard with an audible thud and groaned in pain.

"Why you little - I'm calling security!" shouted the first man, clutching his wounded hand, while his companion slowly picked himself up off the ground.

"What're you goons gonna tell em? That you were sexually harassing two high school girls, and one of em knocked both of you on your asses?" Misao stated in a mocking tone. "Have fun with that."

The two men glared at Misao with utter contempt, but quickly realized the small girl had a point. With a few grumbled curses, they hobbled off. Turning around with a triumphant smile, Misao looked to a shocked Kagami. "You alright?" she asked, her look of triumph changing to one of concern.

"What- That was- H-How'd you do that?" Kagami managed to stutter out.

"Ah it was nothin. Sensei makes me train with guys twice their size. And, you'd be amazed at what you can make someone do just by bendin a finger the wrong way," Misao replied nonchalantly.

Kagami cocked her head to the side, complete confusion evident on her face. "Train with guys?"

"Yea, you know, Judo?" Misao continued, only to get another confused stare in response. "You didn't know I was in Judo? Eh, I guess that'd make some sense. I don't really talk about it," she stated with a shrug. "But I mean c'mon, what'd you think all those summer and spring break practices were for?"

"I-I thought they were track meets or something like that," Kagami said quietly.

"Nah, that stuff's just during school," Misao began, waving a hand dismissively. "Judo's what I really like to do."

"Well that was absolutely amazing!" Kagami exclaimed.

"You really think so?" Misso asked, slightly surprised. Kagami nodded earnestly in reply, and Misao couldn't help but blush at the compliment. She then had an idea; one that she was sure would make Konata proud. "Hey, I have a competition day after tomorrow. You wanna come?" she asked nervously.

"I'd love too," Kagami replied almost instantly.

The answer to her question had come so fast and precise, that Misao hadn't quite registered it right away and continued talking. " I mean, it's no big deal or anything. Just a stupid competition, and you can totally say no if you...wait...did you just say yes?"

"Yea," Kagami said with a chuckle. "Just let me know when and where, and I'll be there."

"Heck yea!" Misao said boisterously. "Oh, and d'you mind maybe not tellin anybody about this stuff? It's a ton of questions I don't feel like answerin."

As curious as she was about why Misao wouldn't care to talk about it with the others, Kagami decided to not push the issue, and gave a smile and a nod as reassurance that she'd keep quiet. The two then headed towards the food court, and in no time at all, met up with the rest of the group that had gathered at a large table.

All the girls were excited to see each other, and quickly began breaking down their numerous adventures in extravagant detail. Misao, of course, was one of the loudest and most animated, and Kagami decided to let her give the group a recap of their day, opting to join Minami and Miyuki in one of the many food lines instead. Finding herself in a long line, she paid little attention to the conversation of her two friends. Instead, her mind went back to the incident with the two perverts. It wasn't so much the fact that Misao had taken both men down in less than a minute which had her mind's eye, it was how she had placed herself right front of Kagami without any sort of hesitation, shielding her from the offender. She could feel her heart flutter in her chest at the thought of the other girl, and found herself catching quick glances of her when she felt no one was watching.

_Go figure. Fall for the whole knight in shining armor routine. Could I be any sappier?_ she thought to herself with a heavy sigh. Realizing that her turn to order was coming up, she took a quick look at the menu, found what she wanted, but also spotted something else, spiced meatballs. A small smile pulled at the corners of her mouth as she placed her order and walked back to the group.

Taking her seat at the table, she slid the tray of food in front of Misao, and tried to hide the blush she knew was working its way up the sides of her face. When Misao looked down, her eyes shot wide open with a look of both surprise and joy. After expressing a rather loud thank you, she began to practically inhale her food with a vengeance.

Satisfied with the reaction she'd received, Kagami started to slowly nibble at her food. _ Why can't I stop thinking about her? I wonder what she thinks of me?_ Taking a pause from eating, she watched Konata and Misao exchange jokes and insults back and forth, laughing hysterically the entire time. _She seems just as close to Konata as she is with me, maybe even a little closer. Probably just sees me as a friend. _With a frustrated sigh, Kagami continued to slowly work at her food.

After finishing her meal, Misao looked over to Kagami to thank her again, and instantly picked up on her somber demeanor. She was about to ask if she was ok, when Konata jumped up and asked if everyone was ready to go to the water rides. The rest of the group eagerly agreed, and she found herself fallowing behind, wondering what had caused Kagami's sudden mood change.

With the rest of the group all together, Misao was disappointed at the fact she wasn't able to find a decent chance to talk to Kagami. Unfortunately, for the first time that day, the two found themselves separated, and even though they were having fun, they both wished they could have a moment alone together. Misao, wishing to check if her friend was alright, and Kagami, hoping to somehow sort her feelings out. _She was so happy just a little while ago. Next chance I get, I'm askin her_, Misao thought.

As the late afternoon turned to evening, Misao finally saw her chance. Konata had once again taken charge, and had led everyone to the outdoor concert. The stage was set in front of a large grassy hill, and most of the spectators had put down blankets or towels and were now leisurely waiting for the show to start. While the rest of the girls were finding their spots and getting comfortable, Misao had chosen a spot just behind everyone else and had discreetly caught Kagami by the hand, lightly pulling her over to sit with her.

Scooting up side by side with Kagami, Misao leaned in and said as quietly as she could, "hey, are you alright? You've been super quiet lately."

Startled by Misao's sudden closeness, Kagami was only able to stammer, "uh, I um, huh?" The fact that Misao was calling her on stupor wasn't helping either. She'd tried to be subtle about it, but she'd been so deep in thought that it couldn't be helped at times.

"You've been spacin out this whole time since lunch. What's up? Still bothered by those creeps from earlier?" Misao asked. Spotting an easy out, Kagami quietly nodded in affirmation, and a look of true concern made its way onto Misao's face. "Well hey, I totally took care of em for ya." She then put her arm around Kagami's shoulders and pulled her in closer. "I'll always take are of you, ok? So no need to worry," she said, putting on a large smile in an attempt to comfort her friend.

Kagami felt her face heat up so much it felt like it might actually burst into flame, but at the same time, she couldn't help but smile. "Thanks. That's...actually really nice to hear," she replied. She then took in a deep breath and slowly let it out as she rested her head onto Misao's shoulder, leaning in and closing what little gap there was left between them. Hearing those words had been surprisingly comforting, and for the moment, all of Kagami's inner turmoil had been completely washed away.

It took every fiber of Misao's being to not start bouncing in excitement. She had honestly planned on just offering a comforting embrace, but it had quickly turned into something more. The way Kagami relaxed under her arm and pressed up against her had been a truly pleasant outcome.

As the show began to start, the two just relaxed and enjoyed each others company. Misao had gotten so caught up in the moment, that she began to lightly rub her hand up and down Kagami's shoulder. Feeling a small movement under her arm, she looked down and saw Kagami staring up at her. Their eyes locked, and the two held each others gaze for what felt like an eternity. _If this isn't a better time to take a shot, I don't know what is_, Misao thought to herself, and slowly leaned in closer.

Their faces were mere centimeters apart, when a large body flopped down next to them. "Hey Sis! This band any good?" exclaimed Misao's older brother.

There was no shriek, no yelp of surprise, just a blur of motion shooting out from under her arm. In all the years Misao had known Kagami, she had never seen the girl move so fast. Slowly, she turned to face her brother, fire burning in her eyes. "Damn it Jin," she seethed, almost inaudibly.

"Whoa, what's with the rage face?" he asked with a look of sincere confusion and innocence. He obviously had no idea what he'd just interrupted.

Ayano, on the other hand, had seen it all. "Jin! Stop harassing your sister. Come on, I have a good spot for us over here," she said, standing next to rest of the group. Catching Misao's eye, she gave the most apologetic look she could muster, and silently mouthed, "I'm SO sorry."

"But I didn't do anything this time! I swear!" Jin protested, but when Ayano gave him a harsh glare, he quickly got up and jogged over to her.

_So LAME! _Misao mentally screamed. Hoping she could some how salvage the situation, she slid over to Kagami, who was sitting a small distance away, eyes fixed straight ahead on the band. Without the slightest idea of what to say, she decided to take a chance. Slowly reaching out, she took the other girl's hand in hers, and gave it a light squeeze.

With a nervous look, Kagaim glanced at the rest of the group, making sure no one was watching. Satisfied with the lack of attention from the others, she turned back to Misao with a heavy blush and moved a little closer, but still maintained a small gap between them. She then lightly squeezed Misao's hand back and gave a small smile.

The concert went on for a little while longer, and it wasn't long before the group was gathering their belongings and getting ready to head out. "Hey, I'll text you my competition info later tonight...that's if you still wanna go..." Misao said quietly while still out of earshot from the others.

"Looking forward to it," Kagami replied reassuringly, earning a wide smile from Misao.

* * *

Misao found herself pacing nervously in her room. She'd just sent Kagami the details for the day after tomorrow, and she was already starting to get prematch jitters. _Great, now I for sure have to do well since she'll be there watching. _She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard her phone beep. Flipping it open, she saw a new text.

From Shortness: So?

"Oh yea, totally forgot to give her the run down of today. My bad," she said aloud as she typed out her reply.

To Shortness: Today was awesome. We totally almost kissed.

In an instant her phone came to life, signaling an incoming call from Konata. "Sup low rider," Misao answered cheerfully.

"You know those short jokes don't get any funnier," replied an annoyed voice.

"Yea they do," Misao shot back.

"Whatever. Now gimme the details!"

Laughing at Konata's excitement, Misao began to give a detailed review of the day. She'd started all the way from begging, making sure not to miss anything, and had just finished describing their run it with the men by the bathroom, when she heard a muffled, strangely accented voice in the background. "Awe, how sweet. She came to her rescue."

"I'm on speaker aren't I," Misao stated flatly. She was pretty sure knew who's voice it was, the accent being pretty easy to pick up on. When she didn't receive an answer right away, she spoke again, "hi Patty."

There was another short pause, followed by a guilty voice saying, "hi Kusakabe sempai...sorry."

"It's cool," Misao replied calmly. "Not like I don't know your little secret," she added with a smile, which widened when she heard muffled squeak over the phone.

"ANYWAYS, since when have you done Judo?" Konata asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Since always."

"So do you think you'd be able to beat me in a fight? I've got some pretty awesome moves."

"Oh come on, there's no way gettin in a fight with an Oompa Loompa would be fare. I'd totally mop the floor with you," Misao replied teasingly.

"Oh hah hah. Just finish your damn story," Konata said.

Picking up where she left off, Misao continued her story once again. She began to pace agitatedly around the room as she described the end of the day and how it was rudely interrupted by her oblivious brother. Once done, she let out a heavy breath, feeling like she had just described an epic journey.

"Wait a minute? You did all of this while I was sitting right in front of you? And I didn't notice?" Konata asked skeptically.

"Yup."

"Well played Kusakabe, well played. You've certainly made your brigade leader proud. Looks like you wont really need my help anymore," Konata stated in a congratulatory tone.

"Wait what?! Heck yea I need your help! I couldn't have done this stuff without you," Misao replied frantically.

"Oh I'm sure you could have, just not as stylishly of course. But look, all I did was set the stage. You did the rest. You pretty much asked her on a date today with your Judo thingy, and she totally said yes. To top it off, if it weren't for your beaver dam of a brother, you two would have kissed. I think it's safe to say you can handle it from here," Konata said.

Misao took a while to reply, letting Konata's words soak in. The girl had a point, and Misao gave a satisfactory nod to herself. "Thanks Konata," she said happily, deciding to avoid a derogatory nickname for once.

"But I still want all the juicy details!"

"I can make can that happen," Misao said with a chuckle. "Have a good night you two.

"Later."

"Goodnight Sempai."

Closing her phone, Misao flopped on her bed, a broad smile on her face. Konata's little speech had certainly made her feel optimistic. _I can totally do this_, she thought confidently

* * *

**Author's note: **I got the idea of having Misao doing Judo from Stamina Rose, so credit goes to her for that.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: Sorry for the long delay on the update. To make it up to you, I'll have chapter six up very very shortly. Thank you to all of those who have left reviews, and a special thanks to my beta. Without him, this story would not be where it is today. Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 5: Better than Expected.

Kagami stood in the center of her room and let out a massive sigh of relief. She had just vented her past weeks frustrations to the one person she could trust. To get it all off her chest felt amazing, and though the other person hadn't even replied yet, she was happy she'd finally let it all spill out. Just hearing herself say it out loud had helped give her some clarity on her emotions.

Sitting on the edge of Kagami's bed, Tsukasa bounced happily, a large smile on her face. "This is so exciting! So you really like her huh?"

"I- Well- I don't- I- I guess so," Kagami stammered in reply. This was all completely new territory for her. She'd never had feelings for some one like this before, and Kagami couldn't help but feel completely out of her element. "How'd you know you liked Miyuki?" she asked quietly.

Tsukasa furrowed her brow in thought. "Hmmm, well I'd always get this warm fuzzy feeling when I was around her. You know, like you just can't stop smiling. And when she asked me out, I just remember being super excited."

With a small moment of silence, Kagami pondered her sister's answer. The feeling she'd described was a relatively familiar one, the other day at the theme park providing several experiences. Recalling a few of those events that very sensation began to come back, and a slight smile made its way across her face.

"So, what are you going to wear to the competition?"

"What's wrong with this?" Kagami pointed to her jean shorts and T-shirt.

Tsukasa scoffed and shook her head. Getting up, she walked over to her sister's closet, opened up the doors, and began rummaging through the contents within. "You have to dress better than that," she scolded, "don't you want to look nice for her?"

That thought honestly hadn't crossed her mind. Of course she wanted to look nice, that was a given, but to actually try and look nice specifically for Misao, Kagami couldn't help but fidget nervously at the thought. She began to think of every outfit she had, trying to remember if Misao had ever specifically complimented any one in particular. Coming up blank, she sadly hadn't the slightest clue what to wear.

"Do you know what her favorite color is?" Tsukasa asked, now engrossed in the contents of Kagami's dresser.

Taking a moment to think, Kagami was pleased that she actually knew the answer. "I know she really likes yellow," she replied confidently.

"Oh! I know!" Tsukasa dashed out of the room and several moments later came rushing back. "Here, try this," she puffed, seemingly out of breath, and holding out a light yellow skirt.

Kagami took the garment from her sister and quickly put it on. She was happy to note that it fit well enough, a nice loose skirt stopping just short of her knees. A second later a white blouse was practically shoved in her face. "You're enjoying this a little too much."

"It's just so exciting," Tsukasa squealed happily. When Kagami was done changing, Tsukasa gave a her a quick once over, tugging at the hem of the form fitting blouse with a very satisfied smile. "Perfect. Now we just need to do your makeup."

"Don't overdo it," Kagami protested.

"Only a little," Tsukasa reassured. Grabbing Kagami's makeup kit she went to work, happily humming a tune to herself. "Just a enough to make your eyes really pop," she said under her breath, a look of utter concentration on her face. A few minutes later, and she clapped her hands together, bouncing up and down joyfully. "All done. Go take a look, and tell me what you think."

Smiling at her sister's excited antics, Kagami walked over to her mirror and took a look at herself. For once, she actually had to admit she was pleased with her appearance. She looked nice, but not like she was trying too hard either. "Wow, thanks Tsukasa. I really appreciate this."

"Of course! It's nice to be able to help YOU out for once. Now shouldn't you be going? You don't want to be late," Tsukasa said while lightly pushing Kagami towards the door.

"Ok, ok, geez. You're so pushy all the sudden," Kagami huffed, as she made her way down stairs. With a final thank you and farewell to her sister, she took off to the train station at a leisurely pace.

Throughout the train ride, Kagami had been deep in thought. Not having the slightest idea what to expect from this event, she found herself getting increasingly curious as her destination came closer by the minute. She was excited at the prospect of seeing Misao compete, and by the time she made it to her destination, her heart was racing. The very thought of seeing the other girl was making her giddy.

Entering the small stadium, she was surprised at how crowded it was, the place being almost completely full. She pulled out her phone to double check the instructions Misao had sent. Scanning the rows, she quickly found her spot, which was surprisingly close to the front. Approaching the seat, she looked at the occupants of the adjacent seats and instantly recognized Misao's parents and brother.

"Hello Mr. And Mrs. Kusakabe, Sempai," she greeted with a bow.

"Ah Hiiragi, so nice to see you here," Misao's mother exclaimed. "And how many times do I have to tell you, there's no need to be so formal. Please, call me Jun, and my husband Masa. We feel less old that way," she said with a wide smile.

"You can totally keep callin me sempai," Jin laughed.

Kagami gave him an uneasy smile, yesterday's events at the concert still very fresh in her mind. "Wow, it's really crowded," she said while taking her seat.

"Well of course it is. It's the Saitama championship," Mrs. Kusakabe stated in a proud tone. Even though Kagami didn't know much about what was going on, she knew this must be a big deal. Misao had been so nonchalant about it too, like it wasn't even important to her. "It's nice to finally see one of Misao's friends at these things," Jun continued, "she must really like you if she invited you here."

"R-Really?" Kagami asked, her face turning a light shade of red.

"Yea we don't really know what her deal is, but Ayano's the only other friend of hers who's come to one," Jin added.

"Does she usually do well in these competitions?" Kagami asked, wondering if her friend was embarrassed for not performing well.

"Are you kiddin!" Masa exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his seat. "There's nothin better than watchin my little girl go down there and get her murder on," he said, enthusiastically pumping a fist into the air with a very familiar smile on his face.

Rolling her eyes, Misao's mother shook her head. "You'll have to excuse my husband, he gets a little excited about these things. But yes, our little Misao does fairly well for herself."

Looking over to Masa and Jin, Kagami was only able to smile. The two were both radiating excitement, and were animatedly describing what appeared to be one of Misao's previous competitions. And eventhough Jun was the more calm and collected one of the Kusakabe family, it was obvious that she too was excited for the event. Despite being unsure of what to expect, Kagami found herself to be getting as equally amped up as the Kusakabes were, and she was now truly looking forward to watching Misao compete.

* * *

Down in the locker room, Misao tightened her belt with a hard yank. Standing up from her bench, she took a deep breath, tugged her blue gi top tight, rolled her shoulders, and bounced lightly on the balls of her feet. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was extremely nervous. It wasn't because of the large crowd crammed into the stadium, or the scrutinizing stare of her sensei, it was because of Kagami; the one person she truly wanted to impress.

Surprisingly, Misao never got herself that worked up for a competition. Not that she wasn't competitive, but for her, this was all just an added bonus to Judo. She trained because she truly enjoyed it. There was only one place where she could clear her mind and focus, test herself both physically and mentally; that was on the mat, and she loved every bit of it.

Looking over to several other of her fellow class mates, she couldn't help but shake her head. They were nervously crowded around a scale, hoping they'd lost enough weight to drop a weight class. _Starving yourself before a match is stupid. Just train with some one bigger than you, and you won't have to worry so much_, Misao thought while rolling her eyes.

"Alright everyone this it! Let's go!" bellowed Misao's Sensei, as she entered the room.

Following the rest of group out, Misao gave a smile and a bow to her Sensei, the small woman happily returning the gestures. A moment later she found herself standing on a scale, weighing in with the rest of the competitors. Not paying any attention to where she was placed, she took her seat on her dojo's bench, and began to wait.

It wasn't long until she heard her name called. Her Sensei joined her at the mat side, clapping a hand on her back. "Remember, just relax, don't forget to breath, and go with the flow."

"Yes Sensei," Misao replied curtly, adrenaline beginning to pump its way throughout her body.

The small woman next her leaned in close, a mischievous smile fighting to work its way onto her face. "What do you do when they start turning blue?"

"Squeeze harder," Misao replied with a smile.

"Damn straight. Now make us proud," the woman said confidently over her shoulder, while making her way back to their bench.

With one last deep breath, Misao took a look at the large crowd gathered in the stadium. Remembering where her family was supposed to be seated, she went straight to that spot. Her father was easy to find, standing and waving at her like an idiot, but he wasn't who she was looking for. There, sitting next to her mother, was Kagami. Misao felt her face light up with a massive smile, and she started waving enthusiastically, much like her father was. When Kagami returned the smile and wave, she felt a greater sense of vigor course through her.

With a gesture from the referee, she took her spot on the line, facing her opponent. Misao eyed the other girl with a predatory grin. _Just like sparring, no big deal, and she's a lot smaller than the boys Sensei makes me train with._ The two bowed and took their positions. _It's freakin go time_. Her grin widened into a Cheshire cat like smile, causing her opponent to raise an eyebrow uneasily.

"Hajime!" the referee shouted.

Misao launched herself at her opponent like she was taking off from the starting block on the track. The poor girl never saw her coming. She grabbed a hold of the girl's uniform just under the armpit, her opposite hand grabbing at the other shoulder. Pulling down on the armpit and pushing at the shoulder, she hooked her leg behind her opponent's. With a quick sweep, the girl toppled to the ground, Misao following her down.

She had to give her opponent credit, the girl did manage to turn to her side before she hit the mat, but it was still too late. Misao snaked an arm around her neck and clamped down like a vice. It wasn't the prettiest pin she'd ever executed, she had hoped to get the girl flat backed, but it was still doing its job. She heard the faint gasps for air, grunts of frustration, felt the flailing of desperate limbs, and tightened her hold.

That was when she heard her queue, the reward of a frantic hand tapping at the mat. Misao held the pin a little longer until the referee gave the signal to stop. Standing up, she flashed a wide grin at her red faced opponent, receiving a frustrated grimace in return. The ref held up Misao's hand, showing the crowd that she was the victor. _Under a minute, not a bad start. Keep this up, and I'll have first place in the bag._

And keep it up she certainly did. Misao was on roll, decimating her opponents quickly and efficiently. Only a few matches had gone to decision, the rest had all been submissions. After each match, she would always make sure to give a smile to Kagami, the sight of the other girl fueling her determination to win.

From the stands Kagami watched in utter astonishment. She had never seen Misao like this before. Normally the girl was childish and had a short attention span, but this proved she was capable of so much more. Kagami was impressed with how serious and focused Misao was. Attending some of the school's track meets, she'd watched her compete before, but this was different. She could tell this was something Misao had truly dedicated herself too.

With the end of another round resulting in a victory, Kagami once more received a wide smile from Misao. It was different from any normal 'I win' smile; this was one specifically for her. A moment shared between only the two of them, and each time the feeling of butterflies in her stomach would radiate through her.

"Next one's the big one," she heard Misao's father say. "She wins that, and it's another gold medal."

"Another?" Kagami asked.

"She's got a hell of a collection," Jin added, obviously proud of his little sister. Punching a fist into an open palm, he said, "But damn, I've never seen her crush people like this before."

"Very true, it looks like she's much more enthusiastic about it this time. You should come to these more often. She seems really happy to have you here," Jun said, looking to Kagami with a smile.

"I'd really like that," Kagami answered truthfully. She could honestly say she was having a great time and was glad that she could be here to support Misao.

"Oh! Oh! Here we go! Final match!" Masa exclaimed, pointing to the arena enthusiastically.

Diverting her full attention to the mat, Kagami watched Misao step up the line and bow to the girl in front of her. The ref gave the signal, and Misao launched forward. Her opponent was quick, however, pivoting out of the way causing Misao to skid past her. She then lunged forward and slammed into Misao, knocking her out of the ring.

"Point! White!" the referee announced.

"What? How'd the other girl get a point?" Kagami asked.

Jun shook her head, a small frown marring her face. "If you step out of the ring, your opponent gets a point."

"Push your opponent out of the ring, and you get a point. Cheap way to rack up a higher score," Jin added bitterly.

The girls on the mat retook their positions, and once again went at each other. Kagami held her breath as the two clashed in the center, each trying to find an opening for a takedown. Slowly, the other girl began to inch closer to the edge of the ring. Just as she was about to step out, she quickly dropped to a knee and pivoted, resulting with Misao stepping over the line.

"Point! White!" the ref shouted again.

Two minutes into the match and Misao was losing three to zero, each point scored by her stepping out of bounds. Kagami could see the frustration on her friend's face, and with only a minute left, she was getting equally frustrated as well. Both Jin and Masa were shouting profusely, and Kagami decided to join them. Standing up, she cupped her hands around her mouth, and shouted, "Come on Misao! You can do it!" Whether or not her encouragement was heard, she couldn't tell, but Kagami was happy to see the look of frustration vanish, instead replaced with a typical toothy grin.

When the ref signaled to start again, Misao took a step back and set her stance. Surprised by the sudden change in tact, her opponent eyed her cautiously. The timer on the clock was dropping fast, and the two circled around, waiting for the other to make a move. Realizing both time and points were on her side, the other girl relaxed her stance ever so slightly, giving Misao a mocking smirk.

At that moment Misao pounced. In a flash she closed the distance, managing to get inside the girl's guard. With a ferocious shout, she grabbed a hold of her opponent and heaved her over her hip, lifting her completely off the ground. Changing her grip while the girl was at the apex of the throw, Misao landed in a vicious choke hold, squeezing as hard as she could.

"Ippon! Blue!" the referee bellowed.

Jin, Jun, and Masa all jumped up cheering, and Kagami was right there with them. Shortly after Misao had been declared the winner, the three finalists stood up on a small podium and were awarded their medals. The Kusakabe family was ecstatic, and Kagami felt like she had just participated in something that not many others had. Her heart began to race at the thought of being special to Misao, and she wanted nothing more than to rush down to the mat and be close to the girl.

As if to answer her thoughts, Jun reached under her seat and pulled out a small plastic bag. "I'm sure you know how forgetful Misao can be. Silly girl left her change of clothes here. Would you like to take them to her?"

Not wanting to seem to eager about the idea, Kagami answered with a simple yes and a nod. Mrs. Kusakabe pointed her in the right direction, and she soon found herself entering the girl's locker room. Thankfully she didn't have to search very hard. Misao was standing in the center of the room, animatedly discussing some of the day's highlights with her fellow classmates.

When Misao caught sight of Kagami, she said a hasty goodbye to the small group around her and ran up to Kagami. She instantly noticed Kagami had done herself up a little more than usual, and without thinking, said the first thing which popped into her head. "Wow, you look really pretty."

"R-really? Thanks!" Kagami replied, trying hard not to seem overly excited.

"Yea and thanks for comin too. It was nice havin ya here to cheer me on," Misao said cheerfully.

"No, thank YOU for inviting me," Kagami began, now showing a surprising amount of excitement. "It was really cool to watch you down there. How come you never mentioned this before? You're really good."

Misao shook her head and began undoing her belt and removing her gi top. "It's just a bunch of questions I get tired of answerin. Do you think you could beat me in a fight? Could you beat that guy in a fight? What would you do if I came at you like this? What martial art do you think is better, this one or that one? Ya know, that kinda stuff. Gets real old real quick. Just easier to keep quiet about it. And it's always kinda been somethin I do for myself."

Kagami was just about to tell her that she had never thought of any of those questions, and she doubted any of the other girls would either, when Misao suddenly yanked off her under shirt. Kagami's voice caught in her throat. Her friend was now only wearing a tiny sports bra and baggy gi pants, and she found it hard not to stare. _Wow, that's really... I wish my stomach was that toned_, Kagami marveled to herself.

"Hey, you doin alright there?" Misao asked, waving a hand in front of Kagami's face.

A bright crimson blush quickly spread over Kagami's cheeks. _Crap, was I really that obvious with the staring? Quick say something_. "I uh, was just thinking...about school work! Yea, that's it. Uh , have you finished your homework yet?" _Yea, that wasn't lame at all, _she mentally scolded herself.

Putting her weight back on one foot, and crossing her arms over chest, Misao regarded Kagami with a quizzical look. "I was gonna knock it out pretty soon. Was plannin on bummin Minegishi's work and goin from there," she said with a smile.

Snapped out of her stupor, Kagami gave her friend a deadpan look. "I'll take that as no, you're not done yet," she said with a sigh, and getting a small shrug from Misao in response. _Stupid, don't give her a hard time about it_. She was then hit with an idea, one she hoped might salvage the mess she'd put herself in. "Well...would you want to maybe come over to my house and work on it?"

A wide smile came across Misao's face. "Sounds awesome. Just the two of us?" she asked, recieving a small nod in reply. "Alright! Just name the time, and I'll totally be there," she said excitedly.

"Whatever works best for you," Kagami said, setting the small bag of clothing she'd been holding on the bench. She then noticed the gold medal sitting next to where she placed the bag, and picked it up to take a closer look at it.

Noticing Kagami's attention was elsewhere, Misao stepped up to her and smiled. "Here," she said, taking the medal out of Kagami's hands, and looping the band over her head. While pulling it down, Kagami took a step closer. The two were now almost face to face, and Misao still kept her hands on either side of the medal's band, holding her in place.

With their sudden proximity, and Misao still only in a sports bra, Kagami was once again rendered speechless. She was at a loss for both what to say and do, and was only able to stare into Misao's eyes, her face getting redder by the second.

Misao, on the other hand, was barely able to contain her excitement as she thought about being able to spend some time alone Kagami. "I'm totally free tonight if you are!" she exclaimed.

"Huh?...Oh, uh...yea, yea, tonight would be great," Kagami stuttered. "Around six work?"

Letting go of the band around Kagami's neck, Misao took a couple steps back. "Six it is." She then reached into the bag, pulled out a shirt, and put it on. A moment later she pulled off her gi pants, revealing a pair of very short, skin tight, spandex shorts.

Kagami quickly averted her gaze, suddenly finding the medal around her neck to be extremely interesting. _Why, why does she have to do that to me? _she thought, while trying not to peek as Misao finished getting dressed, and feeling even more embarrassed about her curiosity.

"Why don't you keep it," Misao said, pointing to the medal, and once again gaining Kagami's attention.

"What? But it's yours, you earned it," Kagami replied, finding it significantly easier to focus now that Misao was fully clothed.

"Well yea I earned it, but I want you to have it. It was really nice havin you here watchin and all. Made me want to win that much more. It'd mean a lot to me if you had it," Misao said, shoving her gi into the small bag.

"Wow, thanks! I'd definitely like to come to more often too," Kagami said happily.

"Sounds like a plan," Misao said, as the two made their way towards the exit. "Now let's get somethin to eat, I'm freakin hungry. Then I'll run home, grab my stuff, and swing by your place around six."

"Sounds great," Kagami replied. _Well that went better than expected, _she thought.

_Awe lame! I totally missed an opportunity back there,_ Misao though angrily, realizing that her excitement had gotten the best of her. _I'll have to make sure not to pull a stunt like that later. Gotta bring my A game._


	6. Chapter 6

**Alright, everyone here it is, the final chapter. I was considering on continuing this, but seeing as how I'm getting shipped out for seven months at the end February, this will be the end. Thank you to everyone who stuck with this from the beginning and to all of those who left reviews, your support meant a lot to me. A special thanks to Drak Nolsa for all of the invaluable insight since day one. I learned a lot while writing this and had a great time as well. I will definitely continue to write more in the future. Hope you all enjoy!**

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Chapter 6: I'd love too

With her school bag in hand, and a light bounce in her step, Misao walked the familiar path to Kagami's house. This was it; she was going to make something happen. As far as she could tell, she had set up everything as best as it could possibly be, and she couldn't think of a better time to take her shot.

What she wasn't so sure about was how to actually make it happen. How should she make her move? There was a chance in the locker room earlier that day, but in a moment of excitement about an evening alone together, she had completely missed it. Before, it seemed that things had just kind of naturally fallen into place, and she figured forcing it might not be the best thing to do. _Looks like the best plan, is to not actually have a plan. Just wait for somethin to happen._

Rounding the final corner to her destination, she nearly collided with a pair girls who were walking hand in hand. A familiar startled squeak rang out, and with the flash of a yellow bow, Misao couldn't help but smile. "Sup, guys. Where are you two headin off to?" she asked, as she greeted Miyuki and Tsukasa.

"Good evening Kusakabe San. We were just on our way to my house to watch a movie and have a nice dinner," Miyuki politely answered with a slight bow.

"Sounds pretty awesome," Misao replied.

Tsukasa nodded with a wide smile. "Yup, and this way, you and Onee-chan will have the house to yourselves. Our parents are out for the evening, and both Inori and Matsuri have work," she said hastily, barely managing to contain her excitement.

"Thanks?" Misao raised a suspicious eyebrow. This was certainly unexpected. Not that she was going to complain, but if she didn't know any better, she'd swear Tsukasa was up to something. The girl was pretty easy to read, and that happy little smirk she was wearing was dead giveaway.

"Of course!" Tsukasa chirped merrily. "Oh, and good luck," she added, as she and Miyuki continued on their way.

"Have a pleasant evening," Miyuki said over her shoulder.

"Yea, you too," Misao replied. _Yea, they're definitely up to somethin,_ she thought, while watching the two disappear around the corner.

Walking up to the house, she took a deep breath before ringing the door bell. _Just relax, don't forget to breath, and go with the flow._ With a push on the door bell, she anxiously waited for several minutes and was soon rewarded by the door opening. "Hey, hey," Misao greeted catching sight of Kagami. Although she wanted to let things fall into place, she also didn't want to miss an opportunity, and decided that she may as well make an attempt at a compliment. "I know I told ya this earlier and all, but again, you look really petty," she said, putting on her usual wide grin.

Kagami looked away bashfully while attempting to hide a smile. "Thanks. Come on in...and you look nice too," she said quietly, stepping aside so Misao could enter. _Calm down. No need to get so worked up_, Kagami told herself, trying to keep a lid on her nerves.

_Score!_ Misao mentally cheered, as she entered the house and removed her shoes.

The two stood in the entry way, and an odd moment of silence overtook them. Both knew exactly what they wanted to say, but neither of which knew how to go about bringing it up. For once, Misao found her usual aura confidence had deserted her. She couldn't ever remember a time she was this worried about failure. Although she knew her chances were good, there was still a small sense of doubt that was making itself all too prominent in the forefront of her mind.

On the other end, Kagami was almost a nervous wreck on the inside. This was all entirely new territory for her, and the fact of the matter was, she was just plain embarrassed by the feelings she had towards her friend. Even though Tsukasa and Miyuki had reassured her that everything would work out, and had even given her some pointers on how to possibly bring it up, the logical part of her brain, that was supposed to be telling her to relax, was having a hard time doing its job. Remembering that she should be a good host, she was finally able to come to her senses and spoke up, breaking the silence. "So, can I get you something to drink?" she asked nervously.

"I could totally go for a drink," Misao said with a heavy sigh of relief. "What d'ya have?"

Once in the kitchen, Kagami opened the refrigerator, offering an assortment of various drinks. Misao opted for a soda, and guzzled half the can in one go. "So, we've got the place to our selves huh?" she asked, after catching her breath .

"Oh, uh, yea, yea. Everyone's out for the night," Kagami stuttered out while shifting her weight. _Now what do I say? What do I do?_

It was obvious to Misao that Kagami was pretty jumpy, and she decided it might be best to bring things to a more comfortable level. As much as it pained her to bring it up, she figured it was probably best to get it over with. "So, should we get started?" she asked, hefting her school bad.

_Oh yea, studying. Ok that's easy enough._ Taking a more relaxed posture, Kagami grabbed her bag from the kitchen table and led the way up her room. "How much have you done so far?"

Misao scratched the back of her neck, and put on a cheesy smile. "None," she said sheepishly. When she received a slight scolding look from Kagami, she continued. "What? I've been busy...with...well...you know...fun things..." she trailed off.

With a heavy sigh, Kagami shook her head while bringing her palm to her face. "It's ok. We're obviously not going to able to finish it all tonight, but let's try and get a decent amount done. Let's start with math."

This time it was Misao's turn let out the heavy sigh. "Math is totally lame though."

"Sooner we get it done, sooner you don't have to worry about it," Kagami replied sternly. _Quit being so harsh!_ Her features then softened slightly. "It won't be that bad. I'll help you out, I promise," she said in a softer tone.

With a slight pout, Misao relented. "Alright, alright. Let's get it over with."

The two girls took their seats at the small table in the middle of Kagami's room, pulled out their books, and started their work. As time went by, the earlier tension between the two passed, and they fell into a comfortable routine. Wanting to impress Kagami, Misao tried her hardest to focus. She'd managed to last a considerable amount of time, and by her standards, had completed a fair amount of homework. Unfortunately, as the work became increasingly difficult, her patience just couldn't last any longer, and she soon found herself starting to fidget and gnaw on her pencil.

Picking up on Misao's agitation, Kagami spoke up. "Need help?"

"Yea," Misao groaned, thumping her head down on the table.

Sliding over to sit next to Misao, Kagami chuckled at her friend's exaggerated depressed state. "Oh come on, it's not that bad. Here, let me explain."

While Kagami was doing a decent job of explaining how to solve the problem, Misao couldn't stay focused. She only had one thing on her mind, and it definitely wasn't math homework. Instead of paying attention, she decided to close the gap between them, scooting over so the two were shoulder to shoulder.

Kagami froze mid sentence. Looking over to the other girl, her face a light shade of pink, she said, "I-Is this making any sense yet?"

"Nope," Misao stated casually.

Under the impression that she had been explaining the problem in a very clear fashion, Kagami was surprised to hear otherwise. She had been sincerely hoping she could help Misao understand the assignment. "Well what is that you don't quite understand?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

Misao looked down at the papers on the table, then back to Kagami, back at the papers, and finally back to Kagami again. "All of it."

Through narrowed eyes, Kagami glared at Misao. "You could have spoken up a little earlier," she said dryly.

"Yea I could have, but it was nice sittin next to ya and just listenin," Misao said innocently, leaning into Kagami.

"Should I keep going then?" Kagami asked quietly.

"Or we could do somethin else. Ya know, somethin a little more fun?"

Kagami went rigid, a bright blush beginning to work its way up her face while her mind tried grasp at what it was that Misao might be suggesting. Swallowing hard, she tried to hide the nervousness in her voice as she asked, "Such as?"

Tapping a finger on her bottom lip, Misao furrowed her brow in concentration. Then, her face lit up with excitement as she spotted a DvD on TV stand. "Awe no way! You got that new action movie? Oh we should totally watch it!"

Thrown off by the suggestion, Kagami was only able to nod in reply. Misao jumped up and quickly made her way over to the TV set. Kagami was about to protest, knowing that they should be studying rather than watching a movie, but she just couldn't bring herself to rain on Misao's parade. The sight of her hyper active friend frantically pulling out the DvD was just too cute, and she decided it best to just go along.

Once everything was in place, Misao dashed over to the door and hit the light switch, leaving only the glow of the TV to light the room. "Best way to watch a good movie," she said as she and Kagami took a seat on the floor at the bedside.

Taking the remote, Kagami hit the play button. As the movie began to start, she reached behind her and pulled down a couple of pillows for them to lean against. The two quickly relaxed and settled into their spots, resting against the bed for support. Although the movie was far from romantic, Kagami couldn't help but feel like they were now on a date together. With a quick glance over to Misao, she smiled to herself at how happy she looked. Her earlier discussion with her sister came to mind, and she decided she may as well muster up the courage and take advantage of the current situation. Taking a deep breath and holding it, Kagami scooted over ever so slightly, bringing herself closer with Misao.

The small movement didn't go unnoticed by Misao, and she had to fight hard to keep her excitement in check. Wanting to make the most of the moment, she started thinking of ways to make a move. _First I gotta get closer to her. Wonder if I could find a way to get my arm around her too, or maybe just hold her hand. Hhhmmmm, gotta do somethin_. She knew the first step would be easy, but the second one would need a little planning. An open window next to the TV caught her attention, and she quickly came up with an idea that she hoped would work. "Hey, uh, would you wanna maybe grab a blanket or somethin? It's gettin kinda chilly."

"Oh, sure. I was actually thinking the same thing." Turning around, Kagami reached up to her bed, pulled off the comforter, and began to spread it over their legs. With Kagami's sudden distraction, Misao seized her opportunity and sided up to her. "How's that?" Kagami asked, her face turning a light shade of pink as she noticed Misao had closed the distance between them.

"Way better," Misao replied. When Kagami turned her attention back to the movie, Misao reached over and, as casually as she could manage, placed her hand on top Kagami's. She watched out of the corner of her eye, waiting for a reaction. The small smile that made its wasy across Kagami's face as she looked down at their hands was reassuring enough, and Misao took it a step further by interlocking their fingers.

As simple as the gesture was, Kagami felt like her breathing was having a hard time deciding if it wanted to relax or speed up. She was excited by the display of affection, even more so by the fact that Misao had initiated it, but decided to try her best to relax. Remembering their trip to magical land, she recalled how they had been in a similar situation and what Misao had said to her that night. 'I'll always take care you.' Those words had a truly comforting effect. As cliche as she thought it was, Kagami had always wanted a knight in shining armor. When she looked over to Misao, who was currently enthralled by a ridiculous amount of explosions on screen, Kagami saw that very figure. Letting out small sigh of content, she rested her head onto Misao's shoulder.

When the movie came to an end, and the credits started to roll, neither of the girls wanted to move. Eventually, Kagami picked up the remote with her free hand and hit the power button, switching off the TV. The room plunged into darkness, only slightly cut by the glow from the city lights shining through the window. Not entirely sure what to do, Kagami cuddled up as close to Misao as she could, nuzzling into her shoulder and interlocked their arms.

_Alright, gotta do somethin, gotta do somethin,_ Misao told herself repeatedly. She knew what she wanted to do, but couldn't exactly think of how to go about doing it. With their current position, she'd need to get Kagami's attention somehow first. Not exactly one to be subtle, Misao decided to take her typical approach to most anything, the direct approach. Taking a deep breath, she leaned over and placed a small kiss on top of Kagani's head.

With wide eyes, Kagami looked up. She was about to say something but was cut off as Misao leaned in and quickly pressed her lips to hers. The kiss only lasted a few seconds, just a quick peck, but it was more than enough. Kagami brought her finger tips to her mouth, the feeling of Misao's lips pressed to hers still lingering, and felt her face heat up with a massive blush. _My first kiss. That was my first kiss! _She looked to Misao, who was now anxiously chewing on her lip while awaiting a response, and gave her wide smile.

"So..." Misao began, but this time it was her turn to be cut off as Kagami closed in with a kiss of her own. She felt Kagami's arms wrap around her neck pulling her in even closer. Only in her wildest dreams had Misao ever imagined this would happen, yet here she was. Unable to control her happiness any longer, a small laugh escaped from between their tightly pressed lips.

"Hey what's so funny?" Kagami asked, breaking away but still keeping her arms around Misao's neck.

"Oh, uh..." Misao was a little lost for words, she honestly couldn't find a way to describe how truly happy and excited she was. "This is just totally awesome," she said, instantly wishing she had been able to come up with something at least a little more romantic.

Kagami laughed in reply, finding the simplicity of Misao's answer rather cute. "Yea, I guess I could agree with you there."

"Really?" Misao asked, bouncing lightly under Kagami's arms.

"Well yea, I really - mmffff -" Once again, Kagami was interrupted by a pair of lips crashing against hers. She found herself practically pushed to the ground as Misao bore into her with a series of what she could only describe as rapid fire kisses. This was definitely something she could get used to.

"This mean you wanna be my girlfriend?" Misao asked, taking a break from her kissing spree.

"I'd love too," Kagami replied with large smile.

Misao leapt to her feat and pumped a fist into the air. "Woohoo!" she hollered as she started doing a rather goofy little dance.

"Don't get to excited there," Kagami said jokingly, while at the same time trying to stifle her laughter.

"What!? This is TOTALLY the time for the happy dance!" Misao cheered. "Can't wait to tell Shortie McShort Shorts all about this."

Kagami stared at Misao in slight confusion, until the coin finally dropped. She shot up to her feet, hit by a sudden rush of panic. She wasn't quite ready to go break the news to the one person she knew would tease her to no end. "Whoa, hold on a sec. Why does she need to know right away?"

"Because she'll be totally stoked that's why. She's only, like, the most epic wing man ever, so I gotta fill her in," Misao said, bouncing with even more excitement.

"Wing man?" Kagami asked, now completely baffled.

With a vigorous nod and a massive smile, Misao began telling the story of how Konata had been helping her out. As the details of the past few weeks came in to focus, Kagami's jaw dropped. Had she been paying any attention, she might have noticed, but she had to give Konata credit, the small girl was definitely sneaky. She then realized that if Konata had gone through all that effort, just to potentially set them up, then she'd no doubt be full of support for them. Sure there would be some teasing, but Kagami figured if she'd been able to put with Konata's shenanigans for as long as she had already, then she could easily handle a little more.

"Alright, alright, you can tell her. I guess I should thank her at some point too," Kagami relented.

"Awesome!" Misao threw her arms around Kagami and squeezed her into a tight hug, practically forcing the air from her lungs.

"Misao...I...can't...breath," Kagami choked out.

"What? Oh my bad," Misao said sheepishly, and instantly loosened her grip. She then leaned in placed a light kiss on Kagami's forehead. "That better?"

"Yea," Kagami said with a wide smile, sinking further into Misao's arms, and nuzzeling into the crook of her neck with a sigh of content. "A lot better."


End file.
